chapter ii operational activities for development

836

to figures from previous years. Forty-three per cent of delivery was attributable to project management, 30 per cent to infrastructure, 18 per cent to procure-ment and 9 per cent to other management services required by partners.

In regard to South-South cooperation, Member States renamed the Special Unit for South-South Co-operation the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation, affirming its system-wide coordination role. The Group of 77 proposed that the High-level Committee on South-South Cooperation be renamed the Commission on South-South Cooperation.

System-wide activities

Operational activities segment of the Economic and Social Council

The Economic and Social Council, during its 2013 substantive session, discussed UN operational activities for international development cooperation [A/68/3/Rev.1]. On 15 February (decision 2013/208), the Council decided that the operational activities seg-ment of its 2013 substantive session should be devoted to progress in the implementation of General Assembly resolution 67/226 [YUN 2012, p. 859] on the quadrennial comprehensive policy review of the UN operational activities for development (qcpr).

At meetings of its substantive sessions held from 10 to 12 July, the Council considered the follow-up to policy recommendations of the General Assembly and the Council; the reports of the Executive Board of the United Nations Development Programme (undp), the United Nations Population Fund (unfpa) and the United Nations Office for Project Services (unops) [YUN 2012, p. 874]; and South-South cooperation for development.

Also before the Council were the report of the Ad-ministrator of undp and of the Executive Directors of unfpa and unops [E/2013/5]; the annual report of the Executive Director of the United Nations Chil-dren’s Fund (unicef) [E/2013/6]; the annual report of the World Food Programme (wfp) for 2012 [E/2013/14]; the reports of the Executive Board of unicef on the work of its first regular session of 2013 [E/2013/34 (Part I) & Add.1]; the reports of the wfp Executive Board on the first and second regular sessions and annual session of 2012 [E/2013/36]; a note by the Secretariat on the operational activities of the United Nations Entity for

In 2013, the UN system focused its development ac-tivities on addressing the institutional and structural barriers to achieving the Millennium Development Goals, as well as inclusive pro-poor growth through targeted interventions, such as the promotion of sustainable livelihoods and the prioritization of social protection for vulnerable groups.

The United Nations Development Programme (undp) approved its new strategic plan, 2014–2017, and the Integrated Results and Resources Framework in the context of the quadrennial comprehensive pol-icy review of operational activities for development. The strategic plan would concentrate on seven out-comes within three substantive areas of work: sustain-able development pathways; strengthening inclusive and effective democratic governance; and building resilience. In 2013, contributions to regular and other resources were $4.7 billion, below the $4.8 billion es-timate. Earmarked contributions from bilateral donors decreased from $1.33 billion in 2012 to $1.26 billion in 2013. Similarly, earmarked contributions from mul-tilateral partners and the European Commission also decreased, from $1.53 billion in 2012 to $1.4 billion in 2013. Local resources provided by programme coun-tries, however, increased from $0.92 billion in 2012 to $1.14 billion in 2013. Total provisional expenditure for development activities in 2013 amounted to $4.49 billion, of which $0.57 billion was funded from regular resources, $3 billion from other donor resources and $0.92 billion from local resources. Total expenditure in UN development coordination, management and special purpose categories reached $0.12 billion, $0.45 billion and $0.05 billion, respectively.

The undp-administered United Nations Volun-teers programme, with 6,351 volunteers from 152 countries, provided a total financial value of $210 million, including undp regular resources.

During the year, the United Nations Office for Project Services (unops) provided implementation, advisory and transactional services that benefited peo-ple in need. Four high-level contribution goals defined the work of unops during 2010–2013: rebuilding peace and stability after conflict; the early recovery of communities affected by natural disasters; the abil-ity of people to develop local economies and obtain social services; and environmental sustainability and adaptation to climate change. In 2013, unops sup-ported 1,230 active projects on behalf of its partners. Sixty per cent of unops delivery was on behalf of the UN system, down from 65 per cent in 2012 but closer

Chapter II

Operational activities for development

Chapter II: Operational activities for development 837

YUN 2013—5th proof—30 November 2017

policy review of operational activities for development of the United Nations system and on the analysis of funding of operational activities for development of the United Nations system for 2011;

2. Acknowledges the efforts of the Secretary-General in establishing an evidence-based monitoring system on the implementation of the quadrennial comprehensive policy review, and calls upon the Secretary-General, in full con-sultation with the United Nations development system, to further enhance the analytical and evidence-based quality of the monitoring report as a tool for effective, coherent and accessible monitoring of the implementation of the quad-rennial comprehensive policy review, while minimizing transaction costs without affecting the quality of the report;

3. Requests the United Nations funds and programmes, and strongly encourages the specialized agencies with opera-tional activities for development, to fully align their strate-gic plans with the quadrennial comprehensive policy review, taking into account their respective mandates;

4. Reaffirms the importance of improving the transpar-ency of the activities and responsiveness to Member States of the United Nations Chief Executives Board for Coor-dination and the United Nations Development Group, in accordance with paragraph 17 of General Assembly reso-lution 67/226, in this regard notes the ongoing efforts of the United Nations development system to monitor the implementation of the quadrennial comprehensive policy review, including through the development of the United Nations Development Group action plan and the indica-tors of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the Secretariat, and requests the Secretary-General, in close consultation with all relevant entities, to prepare and imple-ment a comprehensive, coherent and effective monitoring and reporting framework for the quadrennial comprehen-sive policy review;

5. Requests the United Nations funds and programmes to consolidate their current annual reporting on the imple-mentation of the quadrennial comprehensive policy review within their reporting on the implementation of their stra-tegic plans, and to provide a thorough analysis, including through the selection and use of common indicators that are fully aligned with the monitoring framework for the imple-mentation of the quadrennial comprehensive policy review, to their executive boards and to the Economic and Social Council, with a view to ensuring its full implementation;

6. Requests the Secretary-General to consolidate the annual reports on the implementation of the comprehen-sive policy review and on the funding of United Nations operational activities for development in a single report, with inputs from and in full consultation with all the funds, pro-grammes and specialized agencies and other relevant United Nations entities, with a view to facilitating effective, efficient and high-quality analytical reporting on United Nations op-erational activities for development;

7. Invites the executive boards of the United Nations funds and programmes and the governing bodies of the spe-cialized agencies to consider integrating evaluations of the implementation of the quadrennial comprehensive policy review into the evaluations of their strategic plans;

8. Requests the United Nations funds and programmes, and strongly encourages those specialized agencies with op-erational activities for development, to align their strategic planning and budgeting cycles with the comprehensive pol-

Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women) [E/2013/48]; and decisions adopted by the unicef Executive Board at its 2013 annual ses-sion [E/2013/L.12]. The Council also considered the Secretary-General’s reports on the implementation of Assembly resolution 67/226 on qcpr [E/2013/94] (see p. 840), and the analysis of funding of operational ac-tivities for development of the UN system for 2011 [A/68/97-E/2013/87] (ibid.); and a note by the Secretary-General on the policy for independent system-wide evaluation of operational activities for development of the UN system. The Council took note of those reports on 12 July (decision 2013/215).

On 10 July, the Council held a panel discussion on “Progress in the implementation of General Assem-bly resolution 67/226 on the qcpr: perspectives of the UN programme countries” and a dialogue with the executive heads of the UN funds and programmes. On 11 July, the Council held panel discussions on “Oppor-tunities and challenges for the UN development sys-tem: expectations of Member States” and on “Account-ability for system-wide results and impact”. On 12 July, the Council adopted resolution 2013/5 (see below). On the same date, by decision 2013/216, the Council deferred its consideration of the report of the High-level Committee on South-South Cooperation on its eighteenth session to its substantive session of 2014.

ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL ACTION

On 12 July [meeting 32], the Economic and Social Council adopted resolution 2013/5 [draft: E/2013/L.17] without vote [agenda item 3].

Progress in the implementation of General Assembly resolution 67/226 on the quadrennial comprehensive

policy review of operational activities for development of the United Nations system

The Economic and Social Council,Recalling General Assembly resolution 67/226 of 21 De-

cember 2012 on the quadrennial comprehensive policy re-view of operational activities for development of the United Nations system, in which key system-wide policy orienta-tions were established for development cooperation at both the headquarters and the country levels,

Reaffirming the importance of the timely and full imple-mentation of General Assembly resolution 67/226,

Recalling the critical role of the Economic and Social Council in providing coordination, monitoring and guid-ance to the United Nations system to ensure that those policy orientations are implemented on a system-wide basis in accordance with the present resolution and General As-sembly resolutions 48/162 of 20 December 1993, 50/227 of 24 May 1996, 57/270 B of 23 June 2003, 61/16 of 20 No-vember 2006 and 65/285 of 29 June 2011,

Management processes1. Takes note of the reports of the Secretary-General

on the monitoring of the implementation of General As-sembly resolution 67/226 on the quadrennial comprehensive

838 Part Three: Economic and social questions


vide information concerning efforts undertaken and results achieved towards that end as part of the regular reporting to the Council on the implementation of the quadrennial comprehensive policy review;

15. Further reaffirms paragraph 39 of General As-sembly resolution 67/226, and in this regard requests the Secretary-General, as part of the regular reporting, on the basis of information to be provided by the United Nations development system entities, to report to the Council at its substantive session of 2014 on progress made on the develop-ment of the concept of critical mass of core resources;

16. Reaffirms that the guiding principle governing the financing of all non-programme costs should be based on full cost recovery, proportionally, from core and non-core funding sources, and in this regard notes the timelines agreed by the respective executive boards and the decision by the respective executive boards for an independent and external assessment to be performed in 2016 of the consist-ency and alignment of the new cost recovery methodology with the quadrennial comprehensive policy review;

Contribution of United Nations operational activities to national capacity development

and development effectiveness17. Reaffirms the request to the United Nations devel-

opment system to develop, for the consideration of Member States, a common approach for measuring progress in capac-ity development, as well as to develop specific frameworks aimed at enabling programme countries, upon their request, to identify, monitor and evaluate results in capacity develop-ment to achieve national development goals and strategies;

18. Requests the United Nations development system to consider the findings and observations related to national capacity gaps repeatedly highlighted by programme coun-tries to be addressed through the work of the operational activities for development of the United Nations system;

Improved functioning of the United Nations development system

United Nations Development Assistance Framework19. Requests the United Nations development system at

the country level to ensure alignment of the United Nations Development Assistance Framework period with govern-ment planning cycles, wherever possible, as part of the over-all efforts to fully align the United Nations Development Assistance Frameworks with national priorities and needs;

Resident coordinator system20. Notes the review of existing funding modalities in

support of the resident coordinator system and the resulting recommendations for improving the provision of resources and support to the resident coordinator system on the basis of a cost-sharing arrangement among all member entities of the United Nations Development Group, and in this regard requests the respective governing bodies to consider the rec-ommendation for a cost-sharing arrangement and, subject to approval, to implement it in 2014, in order to ensure that res-ident coordinators have the necessary stable and predictable resources to fulfil their mandates effectively, without com-promising resources allocated to programmatic activities;

21. Requests the United Nations funds and pro-grammes, and strongly encourages the specialized agencies,

icy review cycle, as requested by the General Assembly in its resolution 63/232 of 19 December 2008 and in paragraph 121 of its resolution 67/226, and to report regularly to their respective governing bodies on progress in and challenges to the implementation of the quadrennial comprehensive policy review;

9. Emphasizes the need for the Council to exercise its coordination and monitoring mandate and competencies to ensure the full and timely implementation of the quadren-nial comprehensive policy review;

Funding of operational activities for development of the United Nations system

10. Reiterates that core resources, because of their un-tied nature, continue to be the bedrock of the operational activities for development of the United Nations system, and in this regard recognizes the need for organizations to ad-dress, on a continuous basis, the imbalance between core and non-core resources and to report to the Council in 2014, as part of their regular reporting, on the measures taken to address this imbalance;

11. Urges donor countries and other countries in a po-sition to do so to maintain and substantially increase their voluntary contributions, in a manner consistent with their capacities, to the core/regular budgets of the United Nations development system, in particular its funds, programmes and specialized agencies, and to contribute on a multi-year basis, in a sustained and predictable manner;

12. Notes, while recognizing that non-core resources are not a substitute for core resources, that non-core re-sources represent an important contribution to the overall resource base of the United Nations development system and complement core resources in supporting operational activities for development, thus contributing to an increase in total resources; also notes the need for non-core resources to be more predictable, flexible, less earmarked and better aligned with the priorities of programme countries, includ-ing those in the United Nations Development Assistance Framework, and with the strategic plans and mandates of the United Nations funds, programmes and specialized agencies; and encourages those providing non-core con-tributions to prioritize pooled, thematic and joint-funding mechanisms at the global, regional and country levels, in full alignment with national development priorities;

13. Reaffirms the request of the General Assembly to the executive boards of the funds and programmes and the governing bodies of the specialized agencies of the United Nations, as appropriate, to organize structured dialogues during 2014 on how to finance the development results agreed to in the new strategic planning cycle of their re-spective entities;

14. Also reaffirms the request contained in para-graph 42 of General Assembly resolution 67/226 that, as a practice, all available and projected financial contributions for operational activities for development of the United Na-tions system at the country level be consolidated within a common budgetary framework, which would not constitute a legal constraint on the spending authority of resources, and that the framework be used to strengthen the quality of system-wide resource planning in support of the United Nations Development Assistance Framework, and in this regard requests the United Nations funds and programmes, and strongly encourages the specialized agencies, to pro-



human resources management, procurement, information technology management and other appropriate services;

29. Welcomes the undertaking of a study to examine the feasibility of establishing interoperability among existing enterprise resource planning systems of the United Nations funds and programmes, and requests the Secretary-General to report to the Council at its substantive session of 2014, as part of the regular reporting, on findings and assessment of progress in achieving full interoperability in 2016 in the context of the quadrennial comprehensive policy review;

30. Requests the Secretary-General, consistent with paragraphs 152 and 155 of General Assembly resolution 67/226, to ensure adequate and evidence-based planning and design of common United Nations service centres, by including in plans, for review by the Council in 2014, con-crete proposals for pilot centres in consenting programme countries that duly represent the diversity of the United Na-tions presence in all the regions;

31. Reaffirms the request contained in paragraph 161 of General Assembly resolution 67/226 that the United Na-tions development system develop a strategy, by the end of 2013, to support the establishment of common premises in programme countries that wish to adopt them, requests the United Nations development system to commence the re-quested consultations in this regard with Member States, and requests the Secretary-General, through the United Nations development system, to report on progress made to the Council at its substantive session of 2014, as part of the regular reporting;

32. Invites the respective executive boards of the United Nations funds and programmes, beginning in 2014, to review annually, including possibly through the informal mechanism of the joint meeting of the boards, progress on the simplification and harmonization of business practices and to make available to the Council and the General As-sembly the summary records of their deliberations;

Results-based management33. Requests the United Nations funds and pro-

grammes, and strongly encourages the specialized agencies, to take further measures to ensure that the country pro-grammes of individual entities, including common country programme documents or country programming frame-works, include complete results chains that are aligned with the respective outcomes agreed to in the United Nations Development Assistance Framework and the respective organization-wide results frameworks of each entity, in line with national needs and priorities;

34. Reiterates the request contained in paragraph 169 of General Assembly resolution 67/226 that the Secretary-General articulate and report to the Council at the opera-tional activities segment of its substantive session of 2013, with a view to implementation by 2014, a more robust, co-herent and harmonized approach to operational activities for development, focused on results, which would stream-line and improve the planning, monitoring, measurement and reporting on system-wide results, and in this regard invites the executive boards of the funds and programmes and the governing bodies of the specialized agencies and other relevant United Nations entities to engage in a focused dialogue on how to balance most effectively the need for reporting on system-wide results at all levels with the cur-rent agency-specific reporting requirements, taking into ac-

to further strengthen their participation in the resident coor-dinator system and the management and accountability sys-tem, including in the areas of information-sharing, perfor-mance assessment and the functional firewall;

22. Requests the Secretary-General to report, as part of the regular reporting, on steps taken to improve the overall effectiveness of the resident coordinator system, including in accordance with paragraphs 124 to 127 of General Assembly resolution 67/226;

“Delivering as one”23. Welcomes the finalization of the standard operat-

ing procedures for countries wishing to adopt “Delivering as one”, and in this regard requests the United Nations funds and programmes, and strongly encourages the specialized agencies, to fully and coherently implement the standard op-erating procedures by the end of 2013 and to report on pro-gress towards that end at the first meeting of their respective governing bodies in 2014;

24. Requests the Secretary-General, in cooperation with the United Nations system, to report on progress in the implementation of the standard operating procedures through the annual reporting on the implementation of the quadrennial comprehensive policy review;

25. Notes with concern that options for the review and approval of common country programme documents of the “Delivering as one” countries, as requested in paragraph 143 of General Assembly resolution 67/226, were not presented to the Council at its substantive session of 2013, and re-quests the Secretary-General, in full consultation with the United Nations development system and countries using the common country programme document modality, to ensure that this matter is fully addressed at the substantive session of the Council in 2014;

26. Reaffirms the importance of the United Nations development system identifying and addressing challenges and bottlenecks at all levels that have prevented the United Nations country teams in “Delivering as one” countries from fully realizing efficiency gains under the “Delivering as one” approach, and requests the United Nations funds and programmes, and encourages the specialized agencies, to start reporting annually, as part of their regular reporting to the Council, on progress in this regard;

Simplification and harmonization of business practices27. Recognizes that the harmonization of regulations

and rules, policies and procedures of the United Nations funds and programmes in the functional areas of finance, human resources management, procurement, information technology management and administrative services, the es-tablishment of interoperability among existing enterprise re-source planning systems of the funds and programmes and the establishment of common services at the country level are interlinked and need to be pursued in an integrated manner;

28. Recalls paragraph 155 of General Assembly resolu-tion 67/226, recognizes the progress made by the United Nations development system in harmonizing regula-tions and rules, policies and procedures, and requests the Secretary-General, through the High-level Committee on Management and the United Nations Development Group, to continue the ongoing efforts at harmonizing regulations and rules, policies and procedures of the United Nations funds and programmes in the functional areas of finance,



affected by conflict increased from $490 million in 2010 to $512 million in 2011.

At the country level, undp and unfpa continued to progressively adopt common programmatic, finan-cial and operational processes with partner organiza-tions. The 2012 independent evaluation of “Deliver-ing as one” noted the contributions to coordination and coherence made by the “Delivering as one” pilots and suggested areas where further action was needed. Undp and unfpa were exploring burden sharing and other internal funding modalities to support coordina-tion, while cooperating with government partners to ensure that predictable funding was available. Unops continued to increase its participation in UN country teams, as well as in the development of United Nations Development Assistance Frameworks, working closely with resident coordinators.

On 1 February [E/2013/35 (dec. 2013/8)], the Execu-tive Board took note of the joint report of the undp Administrator and the unfpa/unops Executive Direc-tors and decided to transmit it to the Economic and Social Council.

Report of Secretary General. In July [E/2013/94], the Secretary-General submitted a report on results achieved and measures and processes implemented in follow-up to Assembly resolution 67/226 [YUN 2012, p. 859] on qcpr. The report assessed progress in the areas of funding, development effectiveness, function-ing and follow-up and monitoring.

Note of Secretary-General. The Secretary-General, in a later note [A/68/658-E/2014/7], stated that the Economic and Social Council, in its resolution 2013/5 (see p. 837) had welcomed the establishment of an interim coordination mechanism, had taken note of the new policy document and had called for continu-ing consultations with Member States on the proposals for pilot system-wide evaluations for decision by the end of 2013. The interim coordination mechanism was established in February 2013, and the group met regu-larly over four months to develop a policy to support independent system-wide evaluations of operational activities for development. The policy aimed to ensure that independent system-wide evaluation of opera-tional activities for development of the UN system was systematically applied in order to assess the efficient and effective response to needs and priorities, and to achieve the internationally agreed development goals.

Funding of operational activities for developmentReport of Secretary-General. In a June report

[A/68/97-E/2013/87] on an analysis of funding of opera-tional activities for development of the UN system for 2011, the Secretary-General noted that UN system ex-penditures on operational activities for development totalled 25.1 billion in 2011, compared with $23.9 billion in 2010. Total contributions to operational activities for development amounted to some $22.8

count the challenges in developing results frameworks that demonstrate the United Nations contribution to national development results;

Evaluation of operational activities35. Welcomes the establishment of an interim coor-

dination mechanism for system-wide evaluation of oper-ational activities for development of the United Nations system, as mandated by the General Assembly in resolu-tion 67/226, composed of the Joint Inspection Unit, the United Nations Evaluation Group, the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the Office for the Coordina-tion of Humanitarian Affairs and the Office of Internal Oversight Services of the Secretariat, takes note of the new policy document for independent system-wide evaluation of United Nations operational activities for development, including the proposals for pilot system-wide evaluations, and calls for continuing consultations with Member States on the proposals for pilot system-wide evaluations, for deci-sion by the end of 2013;

36. Requests the Secretary-General, as part of the reg-ular reporting on the implementation of the quadrennial comprehensive policy review, to report on progress and chal-lenges in implementing independent system-wide evaluations of United Nations operational activities for development.

Operational activities for development

Comprehensive policy reviewReport of Administrator and Executive Direc-

tors. In February, the Executive Board considered a joint report of the undp Administrator and the unfpa/unops Executive Directors [E/2013/5] highlighting pro-gress, achievements and challenges in the last year of the triennial comprehensive policy review cycle, and taking stock of relevant studies and reports, including the independent evaluation of “Delivering as one”, in advance of the 2012 qcpr process. The report examined funding for operational activities of the UN develop-ment system; the contribution of UN operational activi-ties to national capacity development and development effectiveness; improving the functioning of the UN development system; and suggested follow-up actions.

Contributions to undp and its associated funds and programmes totalled $5.11 billion in 2011, and contributions to regular (core) resources reached $975 million, representing an increase of 1 per cent from 2010 figures. Other (non-core) contributions to undp reached $4.08 billion in 2011, compared to $4.31 bil-lion in 2010. The decrease was attributable mainly to programmes in countries with special development sit-uations. Contributions for such programmes dropped by 30 per cent to $1.17 billion, from $1.66 billion in 2010. Contributions to unfpa totalled $929 million, an increase of $52 million, or 6 per cent, from 2010. Unops implemented $1.06 billion in projects on be-half of partners in 2011, down 16 per cent from 2010. While the overall volume of work of unops decreased, its work in the lowest-income countries and in areas



Recalling also the high-level plenary meeting of the Gen-eral Assembly on the Millennium Development Goals and its outcome document, and the outcome document of the special event to follow up efforts made towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals,

Reaffirming the importance of the comprehensive policy review of operational activities for development, through which the General Assembly establishes key system-wide policy orientations for development cooperation and country-level modalities of the United Nations system,

Recalling the role of the Economic and Social Council in providing coordination and guidance to the United Nations system so as to ensure that policy orientations established by the General Assembly are implemented on a system-wide basis in accordance with Assembly resolutions 57/270 B of 23 June 2003, 61/16 of 20 November 2006, 67/226 and 68/1 of 20 September 2013 and other relevant resolutions,

Taking note of the reports of the Secretary-General sub-mitted to the Economic and Social Council at the opera-tional activities segment of its substantive session of 2013,

1. Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General on the analysis of funding of operational activities for develop-ment of the United Nations system for 2011;

2. Also takes note of the report of the High-level Com-mittee on South-South Cooperation on its seventeenth ses-sion and the decisions taken at that session, as well as the deci-sions taken at its intersessional meeting held on 4 June 2013;

3. Reaffirms the importance of the contribution of operational activities for development to national capacity development and development effectiveness of the United Nations development system in addressing the key areas identified in the quadrennial comprehensive policy review;

4. Notes with appreciation the work undertaken by those entities of the United Nations development system that have made efforts to align their strategic plans, frame-works and budgets with the quadrennial comprehensive pol-icy review, and encourages all entities of the United Nations development system to take further steps in this regard;

5. Recalls the concern expressed by the General As-sembly in its resolution 67/226 over the lack of progress by the governing bodies in the development and opera-tionalization of the concept of the “critical mass” of core resources, which was reiterated by the Economic and Social Council in its resolution 2013/5, notes that the funds and programmes have not presented specific proposals on the matter to their governing bodies, as requested in 2013, and requests the funds and programmes to take necessary ac-tions in order to take a decision on the matter in 2014, as mandated in resolution 67/226;

6. Recognizes the importance of continuing to strengthen and improve the results-focused delivery of op-erational activities for development of the United Nations system in order to maximize their support for accelerating progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals by 2015, especially in the least developed countries and other developing countries that are lagging behind in meeting the targets, as well as their support for the elabora-tion of the post-2015 development agenda;

7. Recalls Economic and Social Council resolution 2013/5 on operational activities for development, and expresses appreciation for the guidance provided by the Council on the implementation of General Assembly resolution 67/226;

billion, about the same as in 2010 in nominal terms and 6.9 per cent less in real terms, and accounted for 15 per cent of official development assistance, exclud-ing debt relief.

Some 72 per cent of those expenditures focused on programme activities at the country level, of which 47 per cent, or $8.5 billion, were in Africa. The re-maining 28 per cent of total expenditures related to global and regional programme activities, and pro-gramme support and management activities. Further, UN operational activities for development in 2011 ac-counted for about 63 per cent ($22.8 billion) of all UN system-wide activities ($36 billion). Funding for opera-tional activities for development was concentrated in a relatively small number of UN entities. Undp, wfp and unicef accounted for some 54 per cent of funding in 2011, undp alone accounted for 22 per cent.

By region, Africa received 34 per cent of total ex-penditures; Asia and the Pacific received 19 per cent; the Americas received 9 per cent; Western Asia received 8 per cent; and Europe received 2 per cent. Regional and global activities received 14 per cent; programme support and management received 12 per cent; and 3 per cent went to non-attributed expenditures. Regarding development-related activities, some 65 per cent of expenditures concerned programme ac-tivities at the country level, of which 42 per cent, or $4.7 billion, were in Africa. Accordingly, 35 per cent of total expenditures concerned programme activities at the regional and global levels, programme support, and management and activities that could not be at-tributed to any of the above categories. The top 50 programme countries accounted for 80 per cent of total programme expenditures, with the top three countries—Afghanistan, Sudan/South Sudan and Pa-kistan—accounting for some 19 per cent. The top ten countries/territories—Afghanistan, Sudan/South Su-dan, Pakistan, Ethiopia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia, Kenya, Occupied Palestinian Territo-ries, Haiti and Chad—accounted for some 40 per cent of total country-level programme expenditure.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY ACTION

On 20 December [meeting 71], the General Assem-bly, on the recommendation of the Second (Economic and Financial) Committee [A/68/443/Add.1], adopted resolution 68/229 without vote [agenda item 24 (a)].

Operational activities for development of the United Nations system

The General Assembly,Recalling its resolution 67/226 of 21 December 2012

on the quadrennial comprehensive policy review of opera-tional activities for development of the United Nations sys-tem and Economic and Social Council resolution 2013/5 of 12 July 2013 on progress in the implementation of resolu-tion 67/226,



The Economic and Social Council, by decision 2013/215 of 12 July, took note of the undp/unfpa/unops Board’s report on its work in 2012 [YUN 2012, p. 874].

Joint meeting of Executive Boards. On 4 Febru-ary, the undp/unfpa/unops Executive Board held a joint meeting with the Executive Boards of unicef, UN-Women and wfp, which discussed operational-izing the qcpr decisions; and leveraging South-South and triangular cooperation.

Organizational matters

By decisions adopted in February [E/2013/35 (dec. 2013/10)], June [dec. 2013/26] and September [dec. 2013/36], the Executive Board approved the agendas and work-plans for its first [DP/2013/L.1] and second [DP/2013/L.3 & Corr.1] regular sessions, as well as its annual session [DP/2013/L.2]. The Board also approved the reports of the 2012 second regular session [DP/2013/1], the 2013 first regular session [DP/2013/9] and the 2013 annual session [DP/2013/38]. It adopted the 2013 annual work-plan [DP/2013/CRP.1]; and approved the tentative 2013 workplan for the annual and the second regular ses-sions, as well as the draft 2014 annual workplan. The Board also adopted the tentative workplan for the 2014 first regular session, and agreed to the schedules for all sessions.

UNDPCountry and regional programmes

At its first regular session [E/2013/35 (dec. 2013/10)], the Executive Board approved final country programme documents for Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Liberia, Libya, Myanmar, Nepal, Nicaragua, Pakistan, South Africa, the Sudan and the United Arab Emirates, as well as the final subregional programme for the Pacific Island Countries and Territories.

At its annual session [dec. 2013/14], the Board took note of the final report on the undp global pro-gramme, 2009–2013: performance results [DP/2013/14], and recommended that undp provide more integrated and programme-focused policy advice, covering areas of work to be identified in the strategic plan, 2014–2017. At the annual session [dec. 2013/26], the Board took note of the first one-year extensions of the coun-try programmes for Afghanistan, Angola, Kenya and Venezuela [DP/2013/15] for 2014; approved on an excep-tional basis the draft common country programmes for Rwanda and Egypt; and took note of the draft country programme documents for Benin, Bhutan, Burundi, the Congo, Cuba, the Niger, Nigeria and Togo. The Board approved the second one-year extensions of the country programmes for Guinea-Bissau and Mali; the exceptional third-year extensions of the country pro-grammes for Madagascar, Tunisia and Paraguay; the

8. Takes note of the policy for independent system-wide evaluation of United Nations operational activities for development prepared by the interim coordination mecha-nism for system-wide evaluation of operational activities for development of the United Nations system, decides in this regard that two pilot independent system-wide evaluations shall be conducted in 2014, subject to the provision and availability of extrabudgetary resources, as outlined in the policy, and that the themes of these two evaluations shall be “Meta-evaluation and synthesis of United Nations De-velopment Assistance Framework evaluations, with a par-ticular focus on poverty eradication” and “Evaluation of the contribution of the United Nations development system to strengthening national capacities for statistical analysis and data collection to support the achievement of the Millen-nium Development Goals and other internationally agreed development goals”, invites countries in a position to do so to contribute extrabudgetary resources for the effective im-plementation of the pilot independent system-wide evalua-tions, and requests the interim coordination mechanism to provide an update on progress in the implementation of the pilot independent system-wide evaluations to the Economic and Social Council at the operational activities segment of its substantive session of 2015;

9. Calls upon the Economic and Social Council, at the operational activities segment of its substantive session of 2015, to discuss the implications for the United Nations de-velopment system of the implementation of General Assem-bly resolution 68/1, while stressing the need to minimize transaction costs associated with reporting and to avoid new or additional formal reporting requirements.

On the same date, the General Assembly took note of the report of the Second Committee (deci-sion 68/545).

Pledging Conference for Development Activi-ties. The 2013 United Nations Pledging Confer-ence for Development Activities was held in New York on 11 November [A/CONF.208/2013/3]. In August [A/CONF.208/2013/2], the Secretary-General provided a statement of contributions pledged or paid at the 2012 Pledging Conference to 16 funds and pro-grammes, as well as seven trust funds as at 30 June.

Technical cooperation

UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive BoardIn 2013, the undp/unfpa/unops Executive Board

held two regular sessions (28 January–1 February and 9–13 September) and an annual session (3–14 June), all in New York [E/2013/35].

The Board adopted 36 decisions, including those providing an overview of actions taken at its January–February [E/2013/35 (dec. 2013/10)], June [dec. 2013/26] and September [dec. 2013/36] sessions. Other decisions dealt with the work of undp (see below), unfpa (see p. 852) and unops (see p. 853), and the United Nations Capi-tal Development Fund (uncdf) (see p. 851).



programme. In Jordan, a national coordination plat-form and a national resilience plan were established with undp support. In the Philippines, the undp early recovery programme provided temporary employment to nearly 50,000 people affected by Typhoon Haiyan.

Much of 2013 was dedicated to the development and approval of the new strategic plan, 2014–2017, and the Integrated Results and Resources Framework, in the context of qcpr of operational activities for de-velopment. The new strategic plan would concentrate on seven outcomes within three substantive areas of work: sustainable development pathways; strengthen-ing inclusive and effective democratic governance; and building resilience for the marginalized and excluded and people living in poverty.

Sustainable developmentUndp contributed to the formation of sustain-

able development pathways (sdps) in 154 countries through initiatives representing 44 per cent of undp annual expenditures. Over 25 million lives were af-fected directly or indirectly, with 72 per cent of inter-ventions having a direct impact through support to implementation, 23 per cent through policy change and 5 per cent emphasizing change via awareness-raising. Undp strengthened country-level policymak-ing through support to the development of 1,254 na-tional plans, 488 policies, 995 diagnostics, and 853 budgets to advance rights-based policy reform and pro-poor growth, ease bottlenecks to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (mdgs), generate decent work and prioritize social protection. Undp also contributed to 987 strategies, action plans and programmes to support the development of liveli-hoods and sustainable businesses, and to strengthen the capacities of civil society organizations and na-tional institutions. The generation of employment and livelihoods accounted for 36 per cent of undp work in the area, followed by natural resource management policies and standards (14 per cent of sdps) and urban development (6 per cent of sdps).

In 2013, 6.47 million jobs were created as a result of undp support, over half of which were for women, with over 58 per cent generated in China and Bang-ladesh. Undp programmes on employment and live-lihoods, focusing on women, youth and vulnerable and excluded groups, represented 11.4 per cent of total expenditures in 2013. Undp supported urban development in 32 countries, up from 24 countries in 2012, representing 2 per cent of total expenditures. Also, over 15 million beneficiaries across 72 coun-tries in 2013 had improved access to social protec-tion schemes as a result of undp support, totalling 9.4 per cent of annual expenditures. Undp managed grants from the Global Fund to Fight aids, Tubercu-losis and Malaria in 26 countries with expenditures totalling $414 million in 2013.

two-year extension of the country programme for Côte d’Ivoire; and the two-and- a half-year extension of the country programme for South Sudan.

At its second regular session [dec. 2013/36], the Board approved the country programme documents of Be-nin, Bhutan, Burundi, the Congo, Cuba, the Niger, Nigeria and Togo. Additionally, it approved the excep-tional third-year extension of the country programme for the Syrian Arab Republic [DP/2013/44]; took note of the first one-year extension of the country programme for Timor-Leste; and commented on the draft country programme documents for Namibia and Mexico.

UNDP programme results

On 14 June [E/2013/35 (dec. 2013/11)], the Executive Board took note of the cumulative review and annual report of the Administrator on the undp strategic plan: performance and results for 2008–2012 [YUN 2012, p. 876]; welcomed the reported progress made across all outcome areas; encouraged undp to use the les-sons identified in the report, including those from the evaluation reports presented at the annual session, for the preparation of the strategic plan, 2014–2017; and further encouraged undp to continue improving its results-reporting systems to ensure more evidence-based information on achievement of expected results at an aggregate level, including an analytical narrative on the development contributions of undp, as well as on challenges identified.

Report of Administrator. The annual report of the Administrator on the strategic plan: performance and results for 2013 [DP/2014/11], as requested by the Executive Board in decision 2013/11, presented an analysis of results and undp performance for 2013, reflecting undp responses against the backdrop of uneven economic growth and growing inequalities in many countries.

In 2013, undp focused on addressing the institu-tional and structural barriers to achieving the Mil-lennium Development Goals, as well as inclusive pro-poor growth through targeted interventions, such as the promotion of sustainable livelihoods and the prioritization of social protection for vulnerable groups. The deteriorating security situation in the Central African Republic, however, led to a cessation of many undp activities in the country. Also, in South Sudan, planned programme implementation stalled in response to political crisis midway through the year that developed into conflict at year end. In response to the deepening crisis in Syria, undp established a subregional facility in Amman, Jordan, to coordinate a coherent UN response. Undp also scaled up country-level responses to focus on emergency livelihoods and building the resilience of national authorities and communities hosting large numbers of refugees. In Lebanon, undp launched a host community support



Resilience-buildingUndp initiatives to build resilience—including in

disaster risk reduction; natural resource management; conflict prevention; justice, security and rule of law; participation in political processes and elections; and employment and livelihoods—in 97 countries rep-resented 34 per cent of annual expenditures. Fifty-three per cent of undp interventions directly affected lives through support to implementation, 22 per cent through policy change and 25 per cent via awareness-raising. Across 49 countries, undp supported the im-plementation of over 400 strategies, action plans and action programmes, as well as 514 pilot initiatives cov-ering support to livelihoods, socioeconomic infrastruc-ture rehabilitation, community-based preparedness for disaster risk reduction and building institutional capacities for conciliation and peacebuilding. Regard-ing policy change, across 72 countries undp supported the development of 121 policies, 417 diagnostics, 358 national plans, 129 budgets and 97 legislative processes primarily aimed at improving diagnostic capacities and risk management.

In regard to disaster risk reduction, undp pro-vided policy and technical support to 18 countries to strengthen preparedness and reduce the impact of dis-asters, especially climate-related disasters, on vulnerable communities, representing 3.6 per cent of annual ex-penditures. In the area of conflict prevention, undp sup-ported 14 countries to establish national structures for dialogue, mediation and conflict. Undp also increased access to justice and security services for vulnerable people across 19 countries, representing 18.6 per cent of annual expenditures. Undp contributions provided ac-cess to security and justice services for survivors of sex-ual and gender-based violence and other at-risk women and girls in Afghanistan, Burundi, the Democratic Re-public of the Congo, Iraq, Sierra Leone and Somalia. Additionally, undp supported authorities in 10 coun-tries to reduce armed violence and control small arms through the establishment of observatories to collect and analyse data on crime and violence, design local security plans and develop laws to regulate weapons.

In the area of participation in political processes and elections, undp supported 18 countries un-der the crisis prevention and recovery focus area. In regard to employment and livelihoods, undp sup-port generated over 3.2 million workdays in short-term labour in 14 countries, benefiting over 200,000 crisis-affected people, more than 40 per cent of them women. More than 50 per cent of those obtaining tem-porary employment went on to establish small busi-nesses. Undp also provided support to over 12,000 ex-combatants—35 per cent of them women—across seven countries, enabling them to secure jobs and liveli-hoods to maintain stability and preserve peace. It sup-ported the rehabilitation of community infrastructure in 14 countries, benefiting over 3.3 million people.

In regard to sustainable growth, undp contributions supported 135 countries, accounting for 13.5 per cent of annual expenditures. It also contributed to the de-velopment of MDG Acceleration Framework action plans in an additional 12 countries, bringing assistance to a total of 56 countries since 2010. Undp worked with approximately 100 countries to promote renew-able energy and energy efficiency and access. It sup-ported 117 countries in improving capacities for natu-ral resource management, representing 4.3 per cent of total expenditures. It also worked with the Global Environmental Facility (gef) in 101 countries to sup-port the poor and vulnerable who depended on diverse and sustainable ecosystems.

Democratic governanceUndp inclusive and effective democratic gover-

nance represented 22 per cent of annual expenditures, affecting 140 countries. Implementation interven-tion with direct impact on people’s lives predomi-nated (36 per cent of total assistance), followed by policy change (32 per cent) and awareness-raising (31 per cent). Undp contributed to 1,173 pilot pro-grammes and 445 action plans and programmes to strengthen public service delivery and government ca-pacity development. Its policy contributions supported the development of 360 diagnostics, 270 legislative processes, 261 plans and 217 policies to strengthen public administration, increase access to public serv-ices and justice, and reduce corruption.

In 2013, undp support led to over 43 million new voters being registered, including over 19 million in Africa, and an additional 96 million people voting in elections, of which 41 per cent were female voters. It also resulted in increases in the percentage of elected women members in the National Assemblies of Sen-egal (from 22.7 to 42 per cent) and Kenya (from 10 to 21 per cent). Ghana, Lesotho and Togo increased their proportions of elected women by 2.2, 2.5 and 4.3 per cent respectively.

As a result of undp support in the areas of justice, security and the rule of law, over 4 million people across 72 countries—49 per cent of them women—gained improved access to justice. Undp provided advisory support to human rights commissions, om-budsmen services and justice ministries in 36 coun-tries; and helped countries fulfil international com-mitments under the human rights universal periodic review process. It further advanced the recommenda-tions of undp Global Commission on hiv and the Law through support to legal assessments and reviews in 65 countries and national dialogues in 49 countries, resulting in 17 countries undertaking legal reform pro-cesses to improve response to hiv. In the area of gover-nance and public service delivery, undp supported 74 countries in improving equitable public services, rep-resenting 6.6 per cent of total expenditure.



gender parity at mid-to-senior levels; ensure women’s representation from programme countries at all staff levels; and include the actions it had taken to imple-ment the United Nations System-wide Action Plan on Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women in its future annual reports on the implementation of its gender equality strategy.

At its annual session, the Executive Board held in-formal consultations on the steps and timeline for the preparation of the next undp gender equality strategy.

Programming arrangements

At the first regular session of the Executive Board, the Deputy Assistant Administrator (DAA) of the undp Bureau for Development Policy, presented an informal note on programming arrangements. The Assistant Administrator of the Bureau of Management assured the Board that undp had adopted a balanced approach to programming, focusing on results and balancing various funding sources, as well as undp capacity to be present. With regard to the contingency fund, undp was keen to include an additional fund within its tool-box to maintain a results focus. Undp also sought to create a limited fund with a ceiling, in addition to cur-rent undp funding, which would make undp more flexible and better able to respond. The DAA of the Bu-reau of Management added that undp could not mod-ify its programming documents and attached funds to adapt to emerging situations, which required immedi-ate, strategic response. The proposed contingency fund did not deal with crises that arose under the target for resource assignment from the core trac-3 modality. Nothing in the proposals for the contingency fund or undp physical presence strayed from decision 2012/28 [YUN 2012, p. 880] on trac-1.

On 1 February [E/2013/35 (dec. 2013/4)], the Execu-tive Board considered the note on the programming arrangements; and approved the target for resource assignment from the core trac-2 resource facility, which continued to use non-formula based criteria. It endorsed protection measures to shield resource allocations with respect to trac-1 and programme support to resident coordination activities from the impact of programming base levels potentially falling below $700 million; and took note of the rationale for including the United Nations Capital Development Fund (uncdf) in the programming arrangements, and agreed to its inclusion in those arrangements. It further requested that undp provide a comprehensive formal proposal, at the 2013 annual session, which would in-clude uncdf in the programming arrangements and address the implications that such an inclusion would have on the core resources available for programming, especially the rationale for making it an annual recur-ring expenditure. The Board agreed on the differen-tiated approach of physical presence, and requested

Financial resultsIn 2013, contributions to regular and other re-

sources were $4.7 billion, below the $4.8 billion es-timate. Contributions to regular resources increased, from $0.846 billion in 2012 to $0.896 billion in 2013, below the $1.1 billion target. Contributions to other resources reached $3.8 billion in 2013, compared with $3.7 billion envisaged in the strategic plan and $3.79 billion contributed in 2012. Earmarked contributions from bilateral donors decreased, from $1.33 billion in 2012 to $1.26 billion in 2013. Similarly, earmarked contributions from multilateral partners and the Euro-pean Commission also decreased, from $1.53 billion in 2012 to $1.4 billion in 2013. Local resources provided by programme countries, however, increased, from $0.92 billion in 2012 to $1.14 billion in 2013.

In 2013, total provisional expenditure for develop-ment activities amounted to $4.49 billion, of which $0.57 billion was funded from regular resources, $3 billion from other donor resources and $0.92 billion from local resources. Total expenditure in UN devel-opment coordination, management and special pur-pose categories reached $0.12 billion, $0.45 billion and $0.05 billion, respectively. For 2012–2013, the ratio of expenditure related to management activities over total expenditure was 8.66 per cent—equal to the ratio derived from the 2012–2013 strategic plan estimates classified as per decision 2010/32 [YUN 2010, p. 882].

Gender equality

At the first regular session of the Executive Board, the undp Associate Administrator presented the oral report of the Administrator on the implementation of the undp gender equality strategy, 2008–2013, in-cluding the midterm review of the strategy.

On 1 February [E/2013/35 (dec. 2013/1)], the Execu-tive Board took note of the oral report on the im-plementation of the undp gender equality strategy, 2008–2013; the efforts of undp in achieving concrete gender equality development and institutional results in 2012; the progress made by undp to systemati-cally integrate gender dimensions in the country pro-gramme documents submitted to the Executive Board; and the partnership of undp with UN-Women. The Executive Board urged undp to continue to allocate a level of expenditure appropriate to the importance of gender equality, and reiterated its request for undp to strengthen its capacity for gender mainstreaming. It further requested undp to ensure the mainstream-ing of gender equality perspectives in the preparation of its 2014–2017 strategic plan, taking into account the findings of the midterm review of the implementa-tion of the current gender equality strategy. The Board asked undp to provide an update at its 2013 annual session on the steps and timeline for the preparation of the next gender equality strategy; further improve



the gni per capital threshold, she noted that undp had proposed a two-year transition period and assured the Board that undp would make every effort to ensure it reached a solution for each country on the issue of undp universal presence and government local office cost (gloc) payments and debt negotiations.

Evaluation

At the first regular session of the Executive Board, the Director of the undp Evaluation Office presented the evaluation of the undp contribution to poverty re-duction [DP/2013/3] and the evaluation of undp support to conflict-affected countries in the context of UN peace operations [DP/2013/5]. The Assistant Adminis-trator of the Bureau for Development Policy presented the management response to the evaluation of the undp contribution to poverty reduction [DP/2013/4], and the Assistant Administrator of the undp Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery presented the man-agement response to the evaluation of undp support to conflict-affected countries in the context of UN peace operations [DP/2013/6]. The Director said that the two evaluations were the first to include a management re-sponse. Future evaluations would include a discussion of risk and gender, and specify the time period under evaluation.

On 1 February [E/2013/35 (dec. 2013/2)], the Board took note of the evaluation of the undp contribution to poverty reduction and the management response thereto. It requested undp to take them fully into ac-count when preparing its next strategic plan, global programme and regional programmes, and to ensure that poverty eradication be a central component of that process. The Board also took note of the evaluation of undp support to conflict-affected countries in the context of UN peace operations and the management response thereto, and urged undp to implement the recommendations of the evaluation report when plan-ning its programmes and projects.

At the annual session of the Executive Board, the Director of the Evaluation Office presented the annual report on evaluation [DP/2013/16], and the Assistant Administrator and Director of the Bureau of External Relations and Advocacy provided the management re-sponse. The report assessed the progress made in 2012, by the undp Evaluation Office, the evaluation units of uncdf and the United Nations Volunteers programme towards fulfilling their role in the evaluation function. It also presented an assessment of the evaluation ca-pacity; provided lessons emerging from the evaluations conducted; and identified the approved and proposed evaluation programmes for 2013 and 2014. During 2012, the Evaluation Office carried out four thematic evaluations, seven programme evaluations, five assess-ments of development results, and the evaluation of the undp strategic plan 2008–2013. The Bureau for

undp to provide comprehensive information, in a formal report, on its implementation for the middle-income countries (mics) with gross national income (gni) per capita above $6,660; and endorsed the fur-ther rationalization of the lines in the programming arrangements framework, as contained in the note on programming arrangements. The Board asked undp to provide, prior to the 2013 annual session, more information on the performance of the functions fi-nanced under the following fixed lines: development support services (dss), economists’ programme, policy advisory services, and the undp Office of Develop-ment Studies, as a basis for considering the funding requirements for those functions. Undp was further asked to present an informal draft budgetary proposal for the programming arrangements framework within the integrated budget, for consultation with the Execu-tive Board at its 2013 annual session, and for formal consideration at its second 2013 regular session.

At the annual session, the DAA and Chief Financial Officer presented the response to Executive Board deci-sion 2013/4 [DP/2013/37]. The Assistant Administrator and Director, Bureau of Management, reaffirmed that investments to uncdf would allow for closer integra-tion of activities and leveraging of the uncdf mandate, and that undp would continue to work with uncdf on resource mobilization projection. The report included an explicit demonstration of the value added by the functions financed under the fixed programme lines for the economists’ programme and dss, as well as for the Office of Development Studies, their impact on trans-formational change and development effectiveness, and their linkages and synergy with country, regional and global programme results. The report also included the proposed approach by undp for inclusion of uncdf in the programming arrangements.

On 14 June [dec. 2013/18], the Executive Board took note of the response to decision 2013/4; and the information provided by undp for the inclusion of uncdf in the programming arrangements. It re-quested undp to provide, before the 2013 second regular session, further information about the ration-ale for the actual amount to be allocated to uncdf; and information on the funding requirements and the rationale, the interrelationships and the synergies, for the functions financed under the fixed lines for dss, the economists’ programme, policy advisory services and the Office of Development Studies.

At the second regular session, the Associate Admin-istrator of undp presented the report on the funding of differentiated physical presence [DP/2013/45] and reassured delegations that undp arrangements for funding its physical presence in mics with four-year average gni per capita below the $6,660 threshold, as well as low income countries, would continue without change. On the issue of predictability and the uncer-tainty that the proposal might engender for mics above



also approved the new series of evaluations focused on gauging impacts, and supported the efforts of the Evaluation Office to conduct joint evaluations with programme partners.

At its second regular session, the Director of the Evaluation Office provided an oral presentation on the proposed topics for the two evaluations—the role of undp in supporting national achievement of the mdgs and the overall contribution of the annual undp Human Development Report, as contained in the annual report on evaluation 2012 [DP/2013/16]. The midterm review of the integrated budget, 2014–2017 should consider whether undp resource allocation for evaluation was sufficient.

Strategic plan 2014–2017

At the annual session of the Executive Board, the undp Administrator, in her opening statement, intro-duced the draft strategic plan 2014–2017, and outlined the plan’s major objectives. The Senior Adviser of the Strategy and Change Implementation Group high-lighted key changes in the draft plan and announced the next draft plan would be ready by late June, fol-lowed by an informal consultation and final draft sub-mission, with the accompanying integrated results and resources framework (irrf) and integrated budget, to the Executive Board prior to the second regular ses-sion. The Administrator stressed the alignment of the new plan with qcpr and Rio+20 within the scope of the undp mandate and the evolving post-2015 agenda.

On 14 June [E/2013/35 (dec. 2013/12)], the Executive Board, inter alia, endorsed the new vision statement of the draft plan, namely to help countries achieve the simultaneous eradication of poverty and a sig-nificant reduction of inequalities and exclusion. The Board requested undp to prepare a final version of the draft based on the comments and inputs received from Member States during the annual session. The Board requested undp to further develop the indi-cators, baselines, milestones and targets of the irrf with a view to their finalization by the 2014 annual session. It further requested undp to provide more in-formation, in time for the 2013 second regular session, on how results would be achieved. The Board asked undp to fully align the next strategic plan, 2014–2017, with the mandates of qcpr; take fully into account, in the strategic plan, findings, conclusions and rec-ommendations of all relevant evaluation reports; and fully take into account the views of Member States in finalizing the plan.

At the second regular session, the undp Admin-istrator looked forward to the Board approval of the undp strategic plan, 2014–2017 [DP/2013/40], and the undp integrated budget, 2014–2017 (see p. 850). She stressed that the endorsed strategic plan would allow undp to focus on supporting acceleration of the Mil-

Crisis Prevention and Recovery completed four assess-ments and the Bureau for Development Policy com-pleted two global undp-gef project evaluations. One evaluation was carried out by the Regional Bureau for Africa, four by the Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific, four by the Regional Bureau for Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States and two by the Regional Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean. The Regional Bureau for Arab States did not complete evaluations for 2012 as they were not yet available in the Evaluation Resource Centre. During the same reporting period, country offices completed 245 evaluations: 28 outcome evaluations, 192 project evaluations, and 25 other types of evaluation, repre-senting a slight increase from the previous year in the number of evaluations across the regions, a slight de-cline in evaluations in the Africa region and a notable increase in the Europe and Commonwealth of Inde-pendent States region. The thematic distribution of the evaluations favoured the environment and sustainable development practice area (39 per cent). Meanwhile, the low number of evaluations focused on supporting crisis prevention and recovery (8 per cent) ran contrary to the increasing focus of undp support in that area and suggested that more effort should be directed to assessing that work at the country level.

On 13 June [dec. 2013/15], the Board, inter alia, took note of the efforts of undp management to ensure that all evaluations received a management response with timetables for action; noted the suggestion for an independent review of the undp evaluation policy; and requested that the Evaluation Office facilitate that review. It also took note of the report on the evaluation of the global programme [DP/2013/19] and its manage-ment response [DP/2013/20], as well as the reports on the evaluation of the regional programmes for Africa [DP/2013/21], Asia and the Pacific [DP/2013/23], the Arab States [DP/2013/25], Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States [DP/2013/27], Latin America and the Caribbean [DP/2013/29] and South-South and triangu-lar cooperation [DP/2013/31] and their management re-sponses [DP/2013/22, DP/2013/24, DP/2013/26, DP/2013/28, DP/2013/30, DP/2013/32, respectively]. It further requested undp to integrate the findings and recommendations of those reports, as well as of the evaluation of the undp strategic plan, 2008–2013 [DP/2013/17] and its management response [DP/2013/18], in the development of the new strategic plan 2014–2017; and requested undp to present the next global programme at the 2014 first regular session. In addition, the Board noted the increase in evaluation compliance of country pro-grammes completed in 2012, and requested undp to continue its support to build national evaluation ca-pacity. It approved the revised programme of work for 2013 and requested undp to give an oral presentation on the proposed topics for the two remaining thematic evaluations at the second regular session. The Board



parative advantages and progress made in achieving the vision of the strategic plan, and report to the Executive Board at its 2016 annual session.

Financial and administrative matters

Appointment of Administrator. In a 22 March note [A/67/808], the Secretary-General requested the General Assembly to confirm the appointment of Helen Clark (New Zealand) as Administrator of undp for a further four-year term of office beginning on 20 April. The Assembly confirmed the appointment on 12 April (decision 67/418).

At the first regular session of the Executive Board, the Associate Administrator presented the review of the undp engagement in direct budget support and pooled funding [DP/2013/7]. The report reviewed the usefulness and effectiveness of the four-year pilot period endorsed by the Executive Board in 2008 [YUN 2008, p. 978] to enable undp to participate financially in pooled fund-ing and sector budget support arrangements upon the request of programme countries. Between 2008 and 2012, undp country offices received expressions of interest to contribute financially to direct budget support from the Governments of Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Mozambique, Nepal, Rwanda, Uganda and other countries. After examining the possibilities, undp and all countries except Burkina Faso opted for a more tailored capacity development response in sup-port of budget support mechanisms, rather than undp providing budget support alongside other donors. The review indicated that the provisions of the pilot pe-riod provided undp country offices with the flexibility they needed to remain key, innovative partners in a changing development cooperation environment at the country level. The pilot contributed to increased national ownership and created more space for qual-ity policy engagement in the respective sectors. The value-added contribution of undp lay in its support of national capacities to negotiate, design and manage direct budget support. Undp programme countries considered sector budget support a useful and practi-cal option. The review concluded that if undp wanted to remain a critical partner in a direct budget support environment, country offices had to be empowered to respond to requests from respective programme coun-try Governments, both in terms of policy and funding modalities. The review also indicated that the reputa-tion of undp as a flexible and responsive development partner had benefited from the direct budget support pilot. The fiduciary risk of undp financial contribu-tions to direct budget support funds was minimal, mainly as a result of the ceiling of $100,000 on target for resource assignment from the core allocations and the low level of demand.

On 1 February [E/2013/35 (dec. 2013/3)], the Board took note of the review of undp engagement in direct

lennium Development Goals, influencing progress on the post-2015 development agenda and forging the pa-rameters of future sustainable development goals. She assured Board members that the more focused strate-gic plan, 2014–2017 would facilitate undp efforts to respond to programme country needs in line with na-tional ownership and according to undp comparative advantages; and stressed that the enhanced results and resources framework would allow for better planning and reporting.

The undp strategic plan 2014–2017 had as its vision to help countries achieve the simultaneous eradication of poverty and significant reduction of in-equalities and exclusion. Its proposed outcomes were inclusive and sustainable growth and development; citizen expectations for voice, development, the rule of law and accountability met by stronger systems of democratic governance; strengthened institutions to progressively deliver universal access to basic services; faster progress in reducing gender inequality and pro-moting women’s empowerment; countries’ ability to reduce the likelihood of conflict and lower the risk of natural disasters, including from climate change; early recovery and rapid return to sustainable devel-opment pathways achieved in post-conflict and post-disaster settings; and development debates and actions at all levels tackling poverty, inequality and exclusion, consistent with undp engagement principles. All out-comes would be pursued using engagement principles that reflected the undp approach to development and for which undp would be accountable, namely, being guided by national ownership and capacity; recogniz-ing the intrinsic value of economic, political, social, civil and cultural rights established by the United Nations; utilizing sustainable human development; reflecting the pivotal significance of gender equality and women’s empowerment; ensuring participation and voice in pursuit of equitable access to develop-ment opportunities and gains across the population; advancing South-South and triangular cooperation; assisting countries to play an active role as global citi-zens; and adhering to universality. Undp would rede-sign its main areas of development work; revitalize its approach to South-South and triangular cooperation, partnerships and coordination; and transform its in-stitutional effectiveness.

On 13 September [dec. 2013/27], the Executive Board approved the undp strategic plan, 2014–2017, and requested undp to further focus all its areas of work and outcomes towards achieving the plan’s vi-sion. The Board also requested undp to take into ac-count the guidance provided by Assembly resolution 67/226 [YUN 2012, p. 859] when implementing the stra-tegic plan. The Board further requested the undp Ad-ministrator to present a midterm review of the undp strategic plan 2014–2017, including an assessment of results achieved, cost-effectiveness, evaluations, com-



the decrease in regular resources and their impor-tance in allowing undp to plan ahead, be strategic and responsive, and provide predictable, differentiated services across programme countries, particularly the poorest and most vulnerable. The Board also noted the need to enhance the quality and predictability of other resource contributions, which complemented the regular resource base. It urged Member States to commit, as early as possible, contributions to undp regular resources for 2013 and onwards, if pos-sible through multi-year pledges.

Funding of differentiated undp physical presenceAt its second regular session, the Executive Board

considered the report on the funding of differentiated physical presence [DP/2013/45] pursuant to decision 2013/4 (see p. 845) on undp programming arrange-ments. The report proposed a differentiated approach for the funding of the undp physical presence in transi-tional net contributor countries and mics with a gni per capita above $6,600. The proposal called for minimum programme delivery thresholds to be met ($12 million over the four-year period 2014–2017); undp continuing to fully fund the UN Resident Coordinator/undp Resi-dent Representative post; and a cost-sharing formula to fund requisite local office capacities, under which undp would fund 25 per cent, provided that the Government funded the other 75 per cent through annual gloc, either in cash or in kind. Any additional country office capacities and costs associated with country office phys-ical presence would be funded from additional govern-ment contributions and/or cost-recovery income earned on government and third-party cost-sharing and trust fund contributions.

On 13 September [dec. 2013/30], the Board endorsed the report on funding of differentiated physical pres-ence. It decided that the regular resources funding of physical presence of undp in mics with gni per capita above $6,660, premised on a country programme of at least $12 million during 2014–2017, would consist of full funding of the UN Resident Coordinator/undp Resident Representative, including minimal office ca-pacities to carry out key leadership and coordination functions, as well as 25 per cent of requisite critical cross-cutting capacities. It further decided to retain the current policy for full funding of the UN Resident Co-ordinator/undp Resident Representative position and appropriate office capacities for the resident coordina-tor in net contributor countries, premised on a country programme of at least $12 million during 2014–2017. The Board requested undp to propose, in close consul-tation with the affected programme countries, mecha-nisms to resolve issues of outstanding gloc debts.

Regular funding commitments to UNDPIn a May report [DP/2013/13], undp provided infor-

mation on the status of regular funding commitments

budget support and pooled funding [YUN 2008, p. 977] and agreed to maintain the changes in the rules and regulations for a subsequent pilot period, 2013–2014. The Board also requested that appropriate evaluations and audits of the activities during the pilot periods 2008–2012 and 2013–2014 be undertaken and that the findings and recommendations be shared within undp and with the members of the United Nations Development Group (undg). The Board requested undp to report, prior to the first regular session of 2015, on the undp approach to assessing, prior to allo-cating funds, the full range of risks associated with the provision of direct budget support and pooled fund-ing, and on the actions taken to continuously monitor and review those risks, with recommendations on the most appropriate approach to assessing risks. It asked undp to submit the evaluations and audits, as well as any refinement of the rules and regulations, for the consideration of the Executive Board at its first regular session in 2015, in order for the Board to adopt a deci-sion on continued undp engagement in direct budget support and pooled funding.

The undp Administrator, in the annual review of the financial situation [DP/2014/20], reported that, in 2013, total undp revenue increased to $5.15 billion, from $5.10 billion in 2012; contributions in 2013 amounted to $4.83 billion. Total expenses in 2013 were $5.25 billion, compared to $5.26 billion in 2012. Contributions to regular resources totalled $896 mil-lion (2012: $846 million), including $57 million in contributions relating to 2012 that were received and recorded in 2013. Undp expenses related to regular resources were $1 billion (2012: $1.03 billion).

Total other resources contributions in 2013 amounted to $3.93 billion, compared to $3.98 billion in 2012. Contributions to other resources comprised funding from programme country Governments and local partners, including the private sector, $1.14 billion (2012: $0.93 billion); bilateral partners, $1.33 billion (2012: $1.41 billion); multilateral partners, $1.4 bil-lion (2012: $1.55 billion); and other amounts of $0.06 billion (2012: $0.09 billion). Total other resources ex-penses amounted to $4.46 billion (2012: $4.43 billion), remaining above the level of total contributions.

Undp maintained a positive net asset position on its balance sheet and, notwithstanding the financial constraints, achieved a year-end liquidity position above the threshold requested by the Executive Board. The value of fund flows to multi-donor trust funds, joint programmes and other UN organizations to-talled $1.33 billion (2012: $1.38 billion). The decrease was due primarily to a further fall in contributions to multi-donor trust funds and joint programmes from $788 million in 2012 to $736 million in 2013.

On 12 September [dec. 2013/29] the Executive Board took note of the annual review of the financial situa-tion in 2012 [YUN 2012, p. 881]. It noted with concern



years of the four-year period, $173.5 million in real reductions were proposed, followed by an additional $66.4 million in reductions for the second two years of the four-year planning period.

The Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (acabq) in August [DP/2013/42] submitted its comments and recommendations on the report.

On 13 September [dec. 2013/28], the Executive Board took note of the report of the Administrator on undp integrated budget estimates for 2014–2017; the additional information provided in the adden-dum to annex I of the report; and the acabq report on the institutional components of undp integrated budget estimates and the recommendations contained therein. The Board approved the integrated budget for 2014–2017; took note of the proposed new strategy for financing personnel costs with respect to posi-tions at the P-5 level and below; noted with concern the estimated level of regular resources for the period 2014–2017; and requested undp to submit proposals on measures to be taken to increase regular resources in its report on funding commitments. The Board authorized annual regular resources programming base levels of $540 million per year for 2014–2015, and $600 million per year for 2016–2017. It also ap-proved an appropriation of $1,510.4 million from regular resources for the institutional component of the integrated budget, 2014–2017, noting that $788.3 million was earmarked for 2014–2015 and $722.1 million for 2016–2017. The Board granted the Administrator exceptional authority to access up to $30 million in regular resources for security measures.

Audit reports

At its first regular session, the Executive Board considered the Administrator’s report [DP/2013/8] on undp implementation of the recommendations of the UN Board of Auditors for the biennium 2010–2011, which provided an update on the implementation of the 33 audit recommendations made by the Board of Auditors for the biennium ended 31 December 2011. Undp had implemented three recommendations, ei-ther by or before the targeted dates of completion, and 89 per cent of the total recommendations of the pre-vious years. The report also reviewed progress made in addressing the top 10 audit priorities for 2010–2011, and outlined management plans to address the revised set of the top nine audit-related management priori-ties for the 2012–2013 biennium.

The Executive Board [dec. 2013/7] took note of the re-port; and expressed support for ongoing undp manage-ment efforts to address the revised top nine audit-related management priorities for the 2012–2013 biennium.

At its annual session, the Executive Board had be-fore it a report [DP/2013/35] on internal audit and inves-

to undp and its associated funds and programmes for 2013 and onward, as well as a summary of the provi-sional income for regular and other resources received in 2012. The report stated that in 2012, contributions to regular resources decreased by 13.2 per cent, to $846.1 million, from $974.51 million in 2011, which was well below the revised funding target of $1.05 billion for 2012 regular resources. Total contributions from regu-lar and other resources to undp also decreased in 2012 to $4.64 billion, from $4.82 billion in 2011.

On 14 June [dec. 2013/13], the Executive Board took note of the report on the status of regular funding commitments to undp and its funds and programmes for 2013 and onwards. The Board noted with con-cern that contributions to regular resources and total contributions to undp decreased in 2012. It called on undp to make every effort to broaden the donor base, and encouraged all countries that had not yet done so to provide contributions to regular resources for 2013. It further urged donor countries and other countries in a position to do so to maintain and sub-stantially increase their voluntary contributions to the core/regular budget of undp and to contribute on a multi-year basis.

UNDP integrated budget, 2014–2017At its second regular session, the Executive Board

considered a report of the Administrator [DP/2013/41] on the undp integrated budget estimates, 2014–2017. The estimates were presented in line with the harmonized approach agreed within the context of the joint road map to an integrated budget for undp, unfpa, unicef and UN-Women. The integrated budget covered the same four-year period as the strategic plan—a change from the previous practice of two-year institutional budgets and four-year programming arrangements frameworks. The integrated resource plan covered $24.3 billion in estimated available resources with part-ners providing resources for present and future years. Of $22.6 billion in total estimated expenditure of reg-ular and other resources for 2014–2017, 88.8 per cent was planned for development activities; 1.7 per cent for UN development coordination activities; 8.1 per cent for management activities; and 1.4 per cent for special purpose activities. This reflected increased expenditures for development activities (88.8 per cent, compared to 88 per cent estimated for 2012–2013), and decreased expenditures for management activities (8.1 per cent, compared to 8.6 per cent estimated for 2012–2013). The integrated budget reflected an increase in the share of regular resources allocated to programming activities, resulting in a $2,240 million allocation to programmatic components of the budget and a $1,360 million allocation to the institutional component of the budget. This was accomplished through the largest re-duction in recent undp history of the regular resources allocation to management activities. For the first two



and/or implemented 39 of the 51 relevant recommen-dations issued in 2011 (76.5 per cent), and 43 of the 51 recommendations issued in 2010 (84.3 per cent).

The Executive Board [dec. 2013/26] took note of the report on the jiu recommendations in 2012.

On 30 June [A/68/5/Add.1 & Corr.1] the Board of Au-ditors transmitted to the General Assembly President its report on the undp financial statements for 2012.

Human Development Report

An oral update on the 2014 Human Development Report preparations and consultations was presented to the Executive Board at its annual session.

On 14 June, the Executive Board took note of the oral report [E/2013/35 (dec. 2013/26].

UN Capital Development Fund

In 2013 [DP/2014/12], the United Nations Capital Development Fund (uncdf), the capital investment organization of the United Nations for the least de-veloped countries (ldcs), capitalized on the synergies between its two practice areas—local development finance and inclusive finance—to pilot and scale up innovative financial mechanisms to increase invest-ments and leverage unused potential in developing countries. In its local development finance programme area, uncdf launched a new strategy with a stronger focus on generating catalytic financing models from both public and private sources that aimed to trigger scaling-up with the financial help of Governments, domestic and international financial institutions and other investors. In the inclusive finance programme area, uncdf encouraged the use of innovative distri-bution channels and technology (branchless banking and electronic payment systems) to digitalize social payment benefits to individuals, as well as the use of increased financial inclusion for the poor to help them access basic services. It also increased its interac-tion with members of the Executive Board through regular stakeholder consultations that had helped to shape its strategic framework for 2014–2017. Uncdf was present in 32 ldcs. In regard to financial serv-ices for the poor, uncdf supported inclusive finance programming in 26 ldcs—18 in sub-Saharan Africa and 8 in Asia. It supported nine of the 26 countries through global or regional initiatives, and eight coun-tries in post-conflict situations.

Total uncdf revenue reached $65.4 million, up from $55.5 million in 2012. The revenue increase was due mainly to the growth in non-core resources, which increased to $49.1 million, a 24 per cent increase over 2012 levels. Core resources registered a slight increase, to $16.3 million, and diversification of uncdf donors continued to improve. Total expenditures were $62.9 million, a 13 per cent increase from 2012. Expendi-

tigations reviewing the activities of the undp Office of Audit and Investigations (oai) for 2012. The report provided details on oai resources for audit, investi-gations and advisory services; experience gained on joint audits; cases of fraud and action taken in cases of misconduct; and internal audit reports disclosed in 2012. It also contained information on oai staffing and budget. The annual report of the Audit Advisory Committee was appended to the report.

In 2012, oai issued 95 audit reports: 7 headquar-ters audits, 35 country office audits, 14 Global Fund grant audits; 35 directly implemented project audits, and 4 inter-agency audits. The four inter-agency au-dits were conducted jointly with one or more United Nations organizations—fao, unesco, unfpa, unicef, the United Nations Industrial Development Organiza-tion and wfp. Most of the audit reports issued in 2012 covered operations and activities of undp offices dur-ing 2011. The 84 audits at the country level covered about $2.5 billion (52 per cent) of some $4.8 billion of undp 2011 field-level expenditures. An additional $2 billion in expenditures were covered by audits of non-governmental organizations (ngos)/national im-plementation projects. Headquarters audits resulted in 23 recommendations, of which 10 (43 per cent) were ranked high priority. The 35 country office audit re-ports in 2012 contained 226 recommendations, mostly in the areas of project management, procurement, as-set management and general administration, which ac-counted for 58 per cent of the total recommendations.

As at 31 December 2012, the overall implementation rate of the audit recommendations was 90.7 per cent. Twenty-one recommendations had been outstanding for more than 18 months without being fully imple-mented, compared to 28 in 2011; and three of those recommendations had been outstanding for over 36 months. Of the 21 recommendations, 13 (62 per cent) were ranked high priority. As at 31 December 2012, oai had 73 posts compared to 68 in 2011. Its 2012 overall budget was $17.5 million, which represented a $3.3 million increase over the 2011 budget.

On 13 June [dec. 2013/24], the Executive Board took note of the report and the management response thereto. It requested undp to ensure that oai had the level of resources, including staffing, to respond adequately to the needs for audit, investigation and advisory services.

At its annual session, the Executive Board consid-ered the undp report on the recommendations of the Joint Inspection Unit (jiu) in 2012 [DP/2013/11/Add.1]. During that year, jiu issued nine reports with 73 rec-ommendations. Of those, six reports with 39 recom-mendations were directed at undp. The report provided a synopsis of management responses to the recommen-dations and an update on the implementation of the recommendations contained in jiu reports issued in 2011 and 2010. Undp pursued on an ongoing basis



present. Throughout over 40 years of operations, unv had strived to achieve two main goals: to provide pro-gramme countries with appropriate form of support; and to extend opportunities to the widest possible cross section of people from every region of the world to participate in the work of the United Nations. The achievement of the goals had relied on guidance from the unv governing bodies. In the context of increasing the attention of the international community to volun-teerism and its contribution to the work of the UN sys-tem, and the need to enhance the integration of volun-teerism into development policies and programmes, it was proposed that unv develop a strategic framework for 2014–2017. The strategic framework would build on existing strategies and plans and on unv results and successes. It would be situated in the evolving global context for development assistance and be linked to the undp strategic plan for the same period.

On 13 June [dec. 2013/17] the Executive Board noted the report of the Administrator on the evolution of the role and the function of the unv programme and of the contribution of unv to the culture of volunteerism throughout the UN development system. It welcomed the leadership role of unv in developing and promot-ing a youth volunteer programme in the context of the Five-Year Action Agenda [YUN 2012, p. 3], and in developing a plan of action to integrate volunteering in peace and development in the next decade. The Board also welcomed the initiative of unv to develop a stra-tegic framework for the period 2014–2017.

UNFPAIn 2013, the Executive Board adopted several de-

cisions relating to unfpa operational activities, in-cluding the thematic evaluation of unfpa support to maternal health, 2000–2011, and the management response thereto [dec. 2013/5]; the report of unfpa on the implementation of the recommendations of the Board of Auditors, 2010–2011 [dec. 2013/7]; the report of the Executive Director for 2012: cumula-tive analysis of progress in the implementation of the unfpa strategic plan, 2008–2013 [dec. 2013/19]; the report on contributions by Member States and oth-ers to unfpa and revenue projections for 2013 and future years [dec. 2013/20]; the revised unfpa evaluation policy [dec. 2014/21]; the report of the Director of the Division for Oversight Services on unfpa internal au-dit and oversight activities in 2012 [dec. 2013/24]; the unfpa strategic plan, 2014–2017 [dec. 2013/31]; and the unfpa integrated budget estimates, 2014–2017 [dec. 2013/32]. A joint undp/unfpa report was issued in July [DP/2013/46-DP/FPA/2013/16] on the implemen-tation of the decisions and recommendations of the Programme Coordinating Board of the Joint United Nations Programme on hiv/aids. The report focused on the implementation of decisions from the thirty-

tures against regular resources decreased by 24 per cent to $18.1, million while expenditures against other re-sources increased by 42 per cent. Fifty-nine per cent of country expenditures were in Africa, followed by Asia and the Pacific with 39 per cent. Sixty-four per cent of programme expenditures were delivered through country programmes, and 36 per cent through global thematic initiatives.

Following the appointment of a new Executive Secretary in 2012 [YUN 2012, p. 892], attention was given to increasing the interaction with the Execu-tive Board and other key stakeholders through regular stakeholder consultations. Uncdf management also focused on the expansion of the organization’s capi-tal mandate to help leverage new resources of capital investment for ldcs. Uncdf completed three evalu-ations: a midterm evaluation of the YouthStart pro-gramme; a final evaluation of the gender equitable lo-cal development programme; and a final evaluation of a decentralization and local development programme intended to pilot a district development fund mecha-nism in Liberia.

On 13 June [E/2013/35 (dec. 2013/16)], the Executive Board took note of the report on the results achieved by uncdf in 2012 [YUN 2012, p. 892]. The Board noted with concern the growing imbalance between the limited core resources of uncdf and its fast growing, non-core resources, and the dependence of uncdf on very few donors for its core resources. It further noted that the systematic use of the core budget to cover the administrative costs of implementing projects financed by non-core contributions could prevent uncdf from delivering on its mandate. The Board called on Mem-ber States to contribute to the core resources of uncdf to ensure that it could reach the critical mass target of $25 million per year in annual core resources thereby ensuring continued support to at least 40 ldcs.

UN Volunteers

In 2013 [DP/2014/20], 6,351 UN volunteers from 152 countries worked for the undp-administered United Nations Volunteers (unv) programme, com-pared with 6,807 in 2012. The total financial value of unv operations, which included support from undp regular resources, amounted to $210 million, com-pared to $220 million in 2012. Of that total, pro-gramme resource expenses made directly by the unv programme amounted to $20 million (10 per cent). The rest was covered by direct charges to UN agencies and organizations.

In March [DP/2013/34], the Administrator sub-mitted a report on unv, which provided an analysis on the evolution of the role and function of the unv programme since its inception. The report provided an analysis of the three main phases in unv history, including principal milestones, from start-up to the



a record $1.96 billion, up from $1.35 billion. Deliv-ery in low-income countries and countries affected by conflict continued to increase as a percentage of the total delivery.

On 7 June [E/2013/35 (dec. 2013/22)], the Executive Board took note of the annual report of the Execu-tive Director on unops activities in 2012 [YUN 2012, p. 886]. It noted the significant contributions made by unops to the operational results of the United Na-tions and its partners, as well as the increased focus on sustainability and investment in its core area of exper-tise, notably infrastructure, procurement and project management. The Board also took note of the support given by unops to the United Nations and its part-ners to implement peacebuilding, humanitarian and development operations; and the demonstrated ability of unops to continuously improve its efficiency and enhance the quality of its products and services while simultaneously reducing its management budget.

Strategic plan, 2014–2017An April report [DP/OPS/2013/3] outlined the unops

strategic plan, 2014–2017, which focused on how unops could offer solutions and value for its partners over the four-year period while modelling operational practices for quality, sustainability, efficiency, trans-parency and accountability. The strategy recognized that for unops to satisfy the rising expectations of its partners, it had to focus on a limited range of products and services and invest in knowledge, innovation and partnerships, especially with regard to sustainability, both in the results to which unops contributed, and in the way it carried out its work. The unops mission was to serve people in need by expanding the ability of the United Nations, Governments and other partners to manage projects, infrastructure and procurement in a sustainable and efficient manner. Its vision was to advance sustainable implementation practices in development, humanitarian and peacebuilding con-texts. Unops committed itself to the following core values: respect and support of national ownership and capacity; accountability for results and transparency; partnerships and coordination as crucial elements for efficiency and innovation; and world-class standards of excellence that were well adapted to local conditions.

Unops articulated three goals to guide and provide focus for its contributions to the operational results of partners and their achievement of development out-comes: sustainable project management; sustainable infrastructure; and sustainable procurement.

To drive organizational excellence, unops ar-ticulated four management goals: recognized value, process excellence, people excellence and financial stewardship. The unops strategic plan approach was framed by the three mutually reinforcing dimensions of sustainability: equitable economic growth, social justice and inclusion, and environmental impact.

first meeting of the Board, held in December 2012, and highlighted undp and unfpa contributions in responding to hiv. On 13 September [dec. 2013/36] the Executive Board took note of the report.

(For more information on unfpa operational activi-ties, see part three, Chapter VIII).

UNOPSThe United Nations Office for Project Services

(unops) was established in 1995 [YUN 1995, p. 900] by General Assembly decision 48/501 [YUN 1994, p. 806] as a separate, self-financing entity of the UN system to act as a service provider to UN organizations. It offered a broad range of services, from overall project manage-ment to the provision of single inputs.

2013 activities

The unops Executive Director, in his annual re-port on unops activities [DP/OPS/2014/2], informed the undp/unfpa/unops Executive Board of the progress made in the implementation of the 2010–2013 stra-tegic plan in 2013. The Office provided implemen-tation, advisory and transactional services that sup-ported partners in the delivery of tangible benefits to people in need, often in the most challenging envi-ronments. Four high-level goals defined the work of unops during 2010–2013: rebuilding peace and stabil-ity after conflict, which accounted for 41 per cent of unops work on behalf of partners in 2013 (down from 41.5 per cent in 2012); the early recovery of commu-nities affected by natural disasters, 8 per cent (down from 8.3 per cent); the ability of people to develop local economies and obtain social services, 41 per cent (up from 39.3 per cent); and environmental sustainability and adaptation to climate change, 9 per cent (down from 10.9 per cent).

In 2013, unops supported 1,230 active projects on behalf of its partners. Sixty per cent of unops de-livery was on behalf of the UN system, down from 65 per cent in 2012 but closer to figures from previous years. Forty-three per cent of delivery was attributable to project management, 30 per cent to infrastructure, 18 per cent to procurement and 9 per cent to other management services requested by partners.

Key operational results completed on behalf of partners included the construction or rehabilitation of 81 bridges, 3,560 kilometres of road, 31 schools, and 26 hospitals and health clinics. Unops procured over 19,000 units of machinery and equipment for its partners, as well as over 4,000 vehicles and 11.3 mil-lion doses of medicine. More than 47,000 people were trained, 288 high-level meetings were organized and over 14,600 days of advisory services were provided to its partners. Unops delivery was $1.14 billion, up from $977 million in 2012, with new engagements reaching



automation and system integration. In preparing the budget estimates, unops worked to safeguard its finan-cial stability and the viability of its business model as a fully self-financing service provider.

In August, acabq submitted its comments and recommendations on the unops budget estimates [DP/OPS/2013/7].

On 12 September [E/2013/35 (dec. 2013/33)], the Ex-ecutive Board approved the net revenue target of the budget estimates of unops and the change of the minimum requirement for the operational reserve of unops to be set at four months of the average of the previous three years’ expense under its management budget. It also endorsed the two-year aspiration of unops with respect to its management results and the targeting of resources to pursue operational excellence.

Audit reportsAt the first regular session of the Executive Board,

unops presented a report [DP/OPS/2013/1] on the imple-mentation of the UN Board of Auditors recommenda-tions for the biennium 2010–2011 [YUN 2012, p. 888].

On 1 February [dec. 2013/7], the Executive Board took note of the report on the implementation of the recommendations of the Board of Auditors for 2010–2011. It supported ongoing unops manage-ment efforts to address the special challenges it faced in transitioning from the United Nations System Ac-counting Standards to the International Public Sector Accounting Standards (ipsas).

In March [DP/OPS/2013/4], the unops Direc-tor of the Internal Audit and Investigations Group submitted the activity report on internal audit and investigations services for 2012. The report stated that 34 reports were released in 2012, as compared with 48 reports in 2011. The combined audit reports contained 357 audit recommendations for improving internal controls and organizational efficiency and ef-fectiveness. Of those, 180 pertained to internal audit reports, 139 to project audit reports, and 38 to the Mine Action Programme. No audit reports were is-sued during 2012 for the Small Grants Programme, as the operational phase was still ongoing. The top six areas of audit recommendations were project man-agement (28 per cent), human resources (18 per cent), procurement (12 per cent), information technology (11 per cent), corporate strategic management and leadership (9 per cent) and finance (8 per cent). Of the audit recommendations issued in or prior to 2010, 99.5 per cent were implemented, as were 97 per cent of those issued in 2011. The overall implementation of audit recommendations issued from 2008—the year the Internal Audit and Investigations Group started undertaking internal audits—to 2012 was 93 per cent. Sixteen audit recommendations that were issued more than 18 months before 31 December 2012 remained unresolved. Annexed to the report was

Unops had significantly strengthened its result-based management systems and the way it reported on operational and management results. In its next planning period, unops would focus on managing for and reporting on sustainability, and help strengthen common reporting standards, especially in the areas of physical infrastructure and public procurement. Unops was also developing a sustainability screening tool for project assessment, target-setting, monitoring and reporting.

On 7 June [dec. 2013/23] the Executive Board en-dorsed the unops strategic plan, 2014–2017, and welcomed the enhanced focus of unops services to its partners, as well as the plan’s emphasis on sustain-ability, national ownership and capacity development. The Board took note of the inclusion in the strategic plan of measures to strengthen the contribution of unops to a broad range of stakeholders, including other organizations within the UN development sys-tem, Governments, international financial institutions and ngos and foundations; and encouraged unops to continue engaging with partners in the future. It fur-ther called on UN system organizations to actively seek efficiency gains through greater collaboration, taking into account the competitive advantage of unops in its mandated areas of expertise. The Board asked unops to widely share its sustainability screening tool once it was finalized.

Financial and administrative matters

Budget estimatesA June report [DP/OPS/2013/6] outlined unops

budget estimates for the 2014–2015 biennium, which totalled $131.2 million, corresponding to a 6 per cent real reduction in management resources compared to the budget estimates for the previous biennium [YUN 2011, p. 856]. The reduction was achieved by driv-ing down indirect costs while making room for stra-tegic investments. The resources were geared towards implementing the unops 2014–2017 strategic plan (see p. 853). Unops estimated that revenues from imple-mentation and transactional services would remain at current levels, while revenues associated with advisory services would increase. The unops operational reserve was projected to remain above the minimum require-ment at the end of 2013. Therefore, unops targeted zero net revenue for the 2014–2015 biennium. Unops management resources were aimed at strengthening its ability to provide partners with advisory, implementa-tion and transactional support services in sustainable project management, infrastructure and procurement. Resources were directed to improving the ability of unops to help develop partners’ implementation ca-pacity in areas of its mandate and core competencies. Unops would invest in its delivery platform, achieving cost savings through business process re-engineering,



implications for cost-recovery rates; how development effectiveness would be directly funded from core and non-core resources and the consequences for cost-recovery rates; the comparable and non-comparable special-purpose activities and associated costs, their funding and the consequences for cost-recovery rates; the advantages and disadvantages of including or ex-cluding UN development coordination activities in the cost-recovery calculation methodology and the consequences for cost-recovery rates; the transitional arrangements after the new cost-recovery rates were adopted; and the way the new cost-recovery policy would help achieve improved cost efficiency. The re-port also provided scenarios of harmonized versus organization-specific cost-recovery rates and their pos-sible consequences and risks; and information on the effects of differentiated rates on mobilizing core and non-core contributions and the kinds of non-core con-tributions. In the report, the agencies recommended the adoption of a harmonized cost-recovery rate of 8 per cent beginning in 2014.

On 1 February [E/2013/35 (dec. 2013/9)], the Execu-tive Board approved the harmonized methodology for calculating cost-recovery rates presented in 2012 [YUN 2012, p. 889], and further developed in the report on the joint review (see above). The Board endorsed a general, harmonized cost-recovery rate of 8 per cent for non-core contributions that would be reviewed in 2016; decided that the review of the cost-recovery rate would take place after the analysis and independ-ent assessment of a midterm review of the integrated budgets of undp and unfpa; and requested that an independent and external assessment be performed in 2016 on the consistency and alignment of the new cost-recovery methodology with Assembly resolution 67/226 [YUN 2012, p. 859]. The Board underscored that the principle of harmonized rates would also apply to differentiated cost-recovery rates. It further endorsed a harmonized 1 per cent reduction for the thematic contributions at the global, regional and country level in undp, unfpa and unicef, with UN-Women main-taining the 8 per cent as a temporary arrangement. The Board also endorsed the retention of the existing preferential rates for government cost-sharing, South-South contributions and private sector contributions. It decided that existing agreements would be honoured using the previous cost-recovery rates and that new or renewed agreements would comply with the provisions set out above. On an exceptional basis, the Adminis-trator of undp and the Executive Director of unfpa might consider granting a waiver of the cost-recovery rates on a case-by-case basis. The Board further decided that the new cost-recovery methodology and related rates would be applied as at 1 January 2014. The Board requested undp and unfpa to present for review their informal draft integrated budgets, including core and non-core resources, as a part of the discussion of their

the annual report for 2012 of the Strategy and Audit Advisory Committee.

On 13 June [dec. 2013/24], the Executive Board took note of the annual activities report for 2012 of the Internal Audit and Investigations Group and the re-port of the Strategy and Audit Advisory Committee. The Board also noted the progress made in the im-plementation of audit recommendations more than 18 months old.

In July, the UN Board of Auditors transmitted to the General Assembly the unops financial report and audited financial statements for the year ended 31 De-cember 2012 and its report [A/68/5/Add.10 & Corr.1]. In 2012, for the first time, unops produced financial statements in compliance with ipsas, but urgent and costly remedial action was required to ensure that the financial statements were presented fairly. Of the 31 recommendations relating to 2010–2011 and earlier bienniums, 15 (48 per cent) were fully implemented, 12 (39 per cent) were under implementation, 3 were not implemented and 1 was overtaken by events. Unops reported a net surplus of $8.2 million in 2012, including finance income of $1.6 million. Total ex-penses stood at $676.6 million. Of the total revenue of $683.2 million reported in 2012, 46.5 per cent was generated by project management services and a fur-ther $253.8 million (37.1 per cent) from construction contracts. Unops also received $2.5 million in services in kind in 2012, relating primarily to the estimated market rental value of office accommodation and re-lated services provided free of charge by Denmark. In 2012, unops spent $239 million on projects involving unops as a principal to a construction contract, repre-senting about one third of its business.

As at 31 December 2012, unops held total cash investments of $1,257.6 million. Given that it was predominantly pre-funded, unops held advance funds from project sponsors of $269.1 million and a further $594.5 million of deferred revenues. This was equiva-lent to programme delivery of 10.4 months and dem-onstrated that unops was in good financial health and had an agreed forward programme of work.

Joint matters

Integrated budget for UNDP, UNFPA and UNICEF

At its first regular session, the Executive Board considered the road map to the integrated budget: a joint undp, unfpa, unicef and UN-Women review of the impact of cost definitions and classifications of activities on the harmonized cost-recovery rates [DP-FPA/2013/1-E/ICEF/2013/8], prepared in response to Board decision 2012/27 [YUN 2012, p. 889]. The report addressed requests by the Executive Board related to critical cross-cutting functions, their funding and the



On 12 September [dec. 2013/35], the Executive Board took note of the 2012 annual statistical report on the procurement activities of UN system organizations. The Board also noted the report on undp, unfpa and unops joint procurement activities and acknowledged the progress made in that regard. The Board invited undp, unfpa and unops and other UN entities to initiate closer collaboration on procurement planning and forecasting to enable aggregating demand to bet-ter influence markets, achieve economies of scale and drive better value for money. It also recognized the need for better reporting on joint procurement and requested that future annual statistical reports on UN procurement include details of joint procurement such as items, volumes and values.

Audit and oversight

At its first regular session, the Executive Board con-sidered the undp [DP/2013/8], unfpa [DP/FPA/2013/1] and unops [DP/OPS/2013/1] reports on the implemen-tation of the recommendations of the Board of Au-ditors for the biennium 2010–2011. On 1 February [E/2013/35 (dec. 2013/7)], the Executive Board took note of those reports.

At its annual session, the Executive Board con-sidered the internal audit and oversight activities re-ports of undp [DP/2013/35] (see p. 850), unfpa [DP/FPA/2013/6] (see p. 852) and unops [DP/OPS/2013/4] (see p. 854). On 13 June [dec. 2013/24], the Executive Board took note of the reports. The Board also noted the progress made by the three entities in the implemen-tation of audit recommendations, and urged them to address recurring and outstanding issues in the areas of project management and monitoring, and procure-ment and human resources, in a timely and thorough manner. The Board encouraged the three entities to work collaboratively with each other, and with other UN development organizations, and to find opportu-nities for further joint approaches. It requested them to ensure that the information provided to the Execu-tive Board by their audit and investigation offices was presented in an informative and consistent manner from year to year, and in a way that facilitated easy comparison between the organizations.

Ethics offices

At its annual session in June, the Executive Board considered the reports of the undp Ethics Office [DP/2013/36], the unfpa Ethics Office [DP/FPA/2013/2] and the unops Ethics Office [DP/OPS/2013/5], cover-ing their respective activities in 2012 in areas such as standard-setting and policy support; training, edu-cation and outreach; advice and guidance; financial disclosure; and protection of staff against retaliation for reporting misconduct and for cooperating with audits or investigations.

respective draft strategic plans, 2014–2017, at the 2013 annual session; provide fully transparent and consist-ent costing proposals that would enable contributors to understand those costs directly charged to programmes and projects, as well as the cost-recovery rate that was applied; and provide, in their annual financial reports to the Executive Board, the amounts received from cost recovery and the use thereof. It also requested undp and unfpa to each prepare an integrated budget proposal, based on the approved cost-recovery rates and the con-ceptual framework of the integrated budget. Undp and unfpa were asked, in the context of the midterm reviews of their integrated budgets and in collaboration with unicef and UN-Women, to recommend adjust-ments to the approved cost-recovery rates, as required, to be presented at the Board’s 2016 annual session.

ProcurementAn annual statistical report on the procurement

activities of UN system organizations for 2012 [DP/OPS/2013/8] stated that total UN system pro-curement under all sources of funding during 2012 amounted to $15.4 billion, an increase of $1.1 bil-lion over 2011. The share of procurement from de-veloping countries and countries with economies in transition rose to 61.7 per cent, an increase of two percentage points.

The report compiled information supplied by 33 UN organizations. The overall procurement volume of those entities in 2012 increased to $15.4 billion from $14.3 billion in 2011, an increase of 7.7 per cent. The total procurement of goods decreased $258 million, or 3.7 per cent, while procurement of services increased by $1.4 billion, or 18.8 per cent. Ten countries—Afghani-stan, Belgium, France, India, Kenya, the Russian Fed-eration, the Sudan, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States—supplied 41.8 per cent of pro-curement. Procurement from suppliers from develop-ing countries and countries with economies in tran-sition increased by $483 million over 2011, reaching 9.01 billion in 2012. Compared to 2011, the share of procurement from developing countries and countries with economies in transition increased from 59.7 to 61.7 per cent in 2012, while the share of procurement from developed countries decreased from 39.2 per cent to 38.3 per cent. A thematic supplement to the report focused on the issue of balancing social, environmental and economic considerations in procurement.

At the second regular session of the Executive Board, the Deputy Executive Director of unops pre-sented the report on 2012 procurement activities of the UN system organizations. In addition, the Direc-tor of the undp and the Chief of the unfpa Procure-ment Services Branch delivered a joint statement on the report of undp, unfpa and unops on joint pro-curement activities [DP-FPA-OPS/2013/1], as requested in Board decision 2012/25 [YUN 2012, p. 888].



ited Bangkok, Thailand, and Myanmar (7–18 March) [DP/FPA/OPS-ICEF-UNW-WFP/2013/CRP.1] to enhance the Executive Board’s understanding of the extent and ways in which UN organizations were positioning their engagement with Myanmar at a time of transi-tion, and how they were contributing to the country in meeting its national priorities to attain sustainable development, achieve the Millennium Development Goals (mdgs) and address challenges. The delegation also reviewed the function and role of the Bangkok-based United Nations Regional Team in supporting uncts and national Governments throughout the Asia-Pacific region.

Regarding Myanmar, the delegation recognized the urgent need for repositioning the UN system in order to fully align with the opportunities provided by the Government’s reform processes. The principles and mechanisms for close coordination and joint pro-gramming among agencies were being developed. The Government was working to fulfil its commitment to the mdgs and its obligations under international in-struments. It was committed to reducing poverty from 26 per cent to 16 per cent by 2015 and to graduat-ing from ldc status by 2020. Unct was moving to-wards post-sanctions development and humanitarian operations in the country without restrictions, in full consultation with the Government. The relationship between the United Nations and the Government was evolving, following the removal of restrictions on the undp mandate by the Executive Board and the agree-ment of a normalized country programme in Janu-ary. Nonetheless, more work was required to enable the Government to identify the relative strengths and value of the UN system in supporting its development objectives, and to provide leadership to UN planning processes. Similarly, the United Nations needed to im-prove information-sharing and transparency with both the national and the subnational government and par-liament, as well as with the general public, in order to build legitimacy, ownership and a spirit of partnership. The delegation identified three areas requiring priority attention by the United Nations in Myanmar. First, there was an urgent need for support to the Govern-ment to protect human dignity and avoid the risk of a protracted crisis involving internally displaced people, especially in Rakhine State. Second, it was imperative that the unct scaled up its assistance to the Govern-ment to achieve its poverty reduction goals. Finally, it would be necessary for the country team to work towards a common framework that aligned with the next five-year government development plan, due to begin in 2016.

The visit highlighted the importance of UN cooper-ation with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the Pacific Islands Forum and other regional organi-zations. The delegation was pleased to see the role of the Thematic Working Group on Gender Equality and

On 7 June [E/2013/35 (dec. 2013/25)] the Executive Board took note of the reports of the ethics offices of undp, unfpa and unops and their respective manage-ment responses. It also requested the management of undp, unfpa and unops to continue to strengthen the functions of their ethics offices in their respective organizations, including through the provision of ad-equate resources, in order to implement the recom-mendations to strengthen an organizational culture of integrity and compliance, ensure that their ethics offices could work effectively to identify and meet the ethics needs of their staff at all levels, and bring best practices to their organizations.

Other matters

Country and regional programmesAt its first regular session [E/2013/35 (dec. 2013/6)], the

Executive Board decided to review and approve, on an exceptional basis, the undp and unfpa draft coun-try programme documents for Egypt at the Board’s 2013 annual session. At its second regular session [dec. 2013/34], it decided to review, on an exceptional basis, the undp and unfpa draft country programme docu-ments for Kenya at the Board’s 2014 first regular session.

Field visitsA delegation of eight members of the undp/unfpa/

unops Executive Board visited Timor-Leste (1–8 De-cember 2012) [DP-FPA-OPS/2013/CRP.1] to observe how the UN country team (unct) was operating and how the United Nations was supporting government priori-ties in addressing development and humanitarian chal-lenges. The delegation also examined the interaction of the UN organizations with the Government and other development partners. The United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (unmit) concluded its draw-down on 31 December 2012 [YUN 2012, p. 339]. As a result, the focus of the UN partnership with Timor-Leste was transitioning to institutional strengthening and development. The delegation indicated that the Government considered the positioning of undp and unfpa in Timor-Leste to be broadly the right one. The Board was satisfied with the impact of undp, unfpa and unops on the ground in Timor-Leste and noted that the Government had also signalled its satisfaction and its desire for continued engagement with the UN system after the departure of unmit. A two-year tran-sition phase 2013–2014 was envisaged, during which a consultative process between the Government and the unct would lead to the development of the next United Nations Development Assistance Framework (undaf) 2015–2019, and to the discussion of modali-ties for resource mobilization and possible cost-sharing with the Government in regard to the undaf.

A 23-member delegation of the Executive Boards of undp/unfpa/unops, unicef, wfp and UN-Women vis-



through unfip stood at 544. Collectively, those proj-ects were implemented by 43 UN entities in 124 coun-tries. The main areas of unfip activities in 2013 were global health, with an emphasis on children’s health; women, girls and population; sustainable energy and climate change; and advocacy and communication. The Foundation continued to manage global advocacy and communications and lead outreach to the private sector around the Every Woman, Every Child move-ment. It also continued to support the Measles and Ru-bella Initiative, disbursing for it $52 million through unfip to unicef and who in 2013. The Foundation also disbursed more than $2.27 million through unfip to support the distribution of insecticide-treated bed-nets by UN agencies in Chad, Madagascar and South Sudan, as part of the Nothing But Nets campaign. Further, it disbursed, through unfip approximately $75,000, mobilized partially from the “Shot@Life” campaign to support the Global Polio Eradication Initiative led by who and unicef. In support of the United Nations Inter-Agency Task Force on Adoles-cent Girls, the Foundation disbursed through unfip more than $225,000 to unfpa. It also continued to support the implementation phase of the Secretary-General’s initiative Sustainable Energy for All.

UN Democracy FundUndef was established by the Secretary-General

in 2005 [YUN 2005, p. 655] to support democratization around the world. It focused on strengthening the voice of civil society, promoting human rights and ensuring the participation of all groups in democratic processes. Through the Fund, the Office channeled approxi-mately $135 million to more than 500 projects in 100 countries around the world, ranging from strength-ening civil society leadership skills and promoting the participation of women and youth, to media pro-grammes allowing civil society to project its voice.

The Fund began its seventh round of funding in November 2012 and received 3,014 proposals from organizations in more than 130 countries, reflecting continuing strong global demand for the Fund’s serv-ices. Forty-six projects were funded at a total cost of $9,694,500. Projects covered included rule of law and human rights (46 per cent); media (22 per cent); com-munity development (15 per cent); women’s empower-ment (9 per cent); youth (4 per cent); and strengthen-ing instrumentalities of government (4 per cent). A Fund project in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia worked in support of the increased use of probation and community service as an alternative to imprison-ment, and parole as a mechanism for early release—especially in regard to vulnerable groups. An initiative in Afghanistan worked ahead of the 2014 elections to strengthen the voice of civil society, foster sustain-able democratic practices and generate deeper public debate and political participation among women and

the Empowerment of Women in Bangkok, where key results achieved included enhanced strategic coherence on regional policies on violence against women and systematized knowledge-sharing.

At its annual session [dec. 2013/26], the Executive Board took note of the reports of the joint field visits to Timor-Leste, Bangkok, Thailand and Myanmar.

Other cooperation

UN Office for PartnershipsThe United Nations Office for Partnerships, re-

formed in 2006 [YUN 2006, p. 1046], served as the gate-way for public-private partnerships with the UN system in furtherance of the mdgs. It oversaw the United Na-tions Fund for International Partnerships (unfip) and the United Nations Democracy Fund (undef), and provided partnership advisory services and outreach.

Report of Secretary-General. In a July report of the activities of the Office [A/68/186], the Secretary-General said that, while the operations of unfip and undef remained the core work of the Office for Part-nerships, the Office continued to provide event support and advisory services to a wide range of Member States and non-State actors that sought to partner with the UN system. The relationship agreement between the United Nations and the United Nations Foundation was under review to ensure that it reflected the evolu-tion of the Foundation’s collaboration with the United Nations. Beyond its grant-making role, the Founda-tion was producing significant impacts throughout the UN system.

On 27 December (decision 68/549 A), the Gen-eral Assembly deferred until the first part of its re-sumed sixty-eighth (2014) session consideration of the Secretary-General’s reports on the United Nations Of-fice for Partnerships.

UN Fund for International PartnershipsUnfip was established in 1998 [YUN 1998, p. 1297]

to serve as the interface between the UN system and the United Nations Foundation, a public charity re-sponsible for administering Robert E. Turner’s $1 bil-lion contribution in support of UN causes. At the end of 2013, the cumulative allocations provided by the United Nations Foundation through unfip projects implemented by the UN system reached approxi-mately $1.3 billion. Of this amount, it was estimated that $0.45 billion (about 35 per cent) represented core Turner funds and $0.85 billion (about 65 per cent) was generated from co-financing partners. The total num-ber of UN projects and programmes supported as at the end of 2013 by the United Nations Foundation



the governance of South-South cooperation in the UN system by updating the composition and work-ing arrangements of the High-level Committee on South-South Cooperation; foster complementarities between North-South and South-South cooperation through greater evidence-based policy dialogue on strategic cross-cutting issues; boost multilateral forms of South-South cooperation through financial contri-butions to the United Nations Fund for South-South Cooperation; strengthen the existing institutions for the management of South-South cooperation and establish new mechanisms to better address the aspi-rations of the South for a greater voice; increase sup-port for triangular cooperation with the involvement of Northern and Southern partners in Government, civil society and the private sector; and strengthen the coherence and coordination of UN support to South-South cooperation.

High-level Committee. The High-level Com-mittee on South-South Cooperation, at an interses-sional meeting of its seventeenth session (New York, 4 June) [SSC/17/IM/L.2], considered the report of the Joint Inspection Unit (jiu) on South-South and tri-angular cooperation in the UN system and a note by the Secretary-General on South-South and triangular cooperation in the UN system [YUN 2012, p. 893].

In a decision adopted during the intersession [SSC/17/IM/L.2 (dec. 17/IM/1)], the Committee reaffirmed decision 17/1 of the seventeenth session of the High-level Committee [YUN 2012, p. 893] and further reiter-ated the request made therein to the Secretary-General to present concrete recommendations for strengthen-ing the United Nations Office for South-South Co-operation as part of his comprehensive report to the eighteenth session.

On 12 July (decision 2013/216), the Economic and Social Council deferred to its 2014 substantive session its consideration of the report of the High-level Committee on South-South Cooperation on its eighteenth session.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY ACTION

On 20 December [meeting 71], the General Assem-bly, on the recommendation of the Second Commit-tee [A/68/443/Add.2], adopted resolution 68/230 with-out vote [agenda item 24 (b)].

South-South cooperation

The General Assembly,Reaffirming its resolution 64/222 of 21 December 2009,

in which it endorsed the Nairobi outcome document of the High-level United Nations Conference on South-South Cooperation,

Reaffirming also its resolution 33/134 of 19 December 1978, in which it endorsed the Buenos Aires Plan of Action for Promoting and Implementing Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries,

youth. A project in Sierra Leone addressed an increase in violent conflicts arising from disputed elections, chieftaincy, land grabbing, civil and labour protests, political conflicts, and disputed natural and economic resources. In Nicaragua, a project worked to protect and promote women’s rights, using the arts to raise awareness of challenges.

Partnership advisory services and outreachThe United Nations Office for Partnerships pro-

vided advisory and outreach services in response to the growing demand from the UN system, Govern-ments and non-State actors in pursuing public-private partnerships. Sixteen key partnership initiatives were pursued in three partner categories: Member States, the UN system and other international organizations, and the private sector and civil society. Initiatives included supporting the Permanent Memorial at the United Na-tions to the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade; providing planning and logistical support for a high-level forum hosted by the Secretary-General on 23 September to catalyse and accelerate further ac-tion to achieve the mdgs; co-hosting the International Women’s Day forum on 8 March; and co-hosting the Social Innovation Summit 2013 (29–30 May).

Economic and technical cooperation among developing countries

South-South and triangular cooperationReport of Secretary-General. In response to

General Assembly resolution 67/227 [YUN 2012, p. 893] the Secretary-General presented the state of South-South cooperation in a July report [A/68/212]. The re-port highlighted the factors behind the growing aware-ness of and attention to South-South cooperation for development. Over the review period, new interna-tional alliances deepened with the aim of reforming the existing architecture for international cooperation at the political and strategic levels. At regional and global forums, Governments made it clear that only within a broader agenda could the rise of the South be sustainable. The strongest dynamism in South-South cooperation continued to be seen at the regional and interregional levels; however, achieving the potential of South-South cooperation and its impact on ldcs re-mained less than optimal. In the UN system, Member States renamed the Special Unit for South-South Co-operation, the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation, affirming its system-wide coordination role. Additionally, to further improve the governance of multilateral South-South cooperation, the Group of 77 proposed that the High-level Committee on South-South Cooperation be renamed the Commission on South-South Cooperation. In his recommendations, the Secretary-General noted that Member States might wish to consider the measures needed to strengthen



11. Reaffirms the mandate and the central role of the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation as the focal point for promoting and facilitating South-South and triangular cooperation for development on a global and United Nations system-wide basis, recalls decision 17/1 of the High-level Committee on South-South Cooperation, and in this regard, requests the Secretary-General, noting the idea of separating the Office for South-South Coop-eration as operationally autonomous from the United Na-tions Development Programme, to present, as part of his comprehensive report to the High-level Committee at its eighteenth session and, in consultation with Member States, the Office for South-South Cooperation and the United Nations Development Programme, a comprehensive pro-posal evaluating the feasibility and financial, human and budgetary implications of separating this Office, at the same time clarifying contributions of the United Nations Devel-opment Programme under such a change, and presenting all options, including the continuation of all existing ar-rangements and financing options for the Office, including through voluntary contributions as well as core contribu-tions from the United Nations Development Programme;

12. Calls upon the Office for South-South Coop-eration to explore and undertake intensive, innovative and additional resource mobilization initiatives to attract more resources, both financial and in-kind, to supplement regular resources and other funds for activities involving South-South cooperation in order to enable it to respond effectively and efficiently to the South-South cooperation needs of Member States and the United Nations system;

13. Acknowledges and encourages the initiatives and arrangements, including public-private mechanisms, un-dertaken in the efforts to enhance cooperation among de-veloping countries, including in the areas of eradication of poverty and hunger, gender equality, the empowerment of women, access to information and communications tech-nologies, science and technology, environment, culture, health, education and human development;

14. Requests the United Nations development system to further assess, within the report of the Secretary-General, progress made in its support, particularly with regard to the provision of adequate resources and the mobilization of technical and financial resources for South-South coopera-tion, as well as mainstreaming South-South cooperation in the work of the United Nations funds and programmes and the specialized agencies in the field;

15. Also requests the United Nations development sys-tem to continue improving coordination among its agencies in order to enhance its support to South-South and trian-gular cooperation and monitor progress at the global and regional levels and to continue evaluating the support of the United Nations development system for those activities;

16. Further requests the United Nations development system to accord a high priority to facilitating programmes and projects of South-South and triangular cooperation and to assist countries of the South, upon their request, in implementing them to ensure that sustainability is a key component of those projects;

17. Recognizes the need to mobilize adequate resources for enhancing South-South and triangular cooperation, and in this context invites all countries in a position to do so to contribute in support of such cooperation to the United Nations Fund for South-South Cooperation and also to the

Recalling its resolutions 57/270 B of 23 June 2003, 60/212 of 22 December 2005, 62/209 of 19 December 2007, 63/233 of 19 December 2008, 64/1 of 6 October 2009, 66/219 of 22 December 2011, 67/227 of 21 December 2012 and other resolutions relevant to South-South cooperation,

1. Takes note of the report of the High-level Committee on South-South Cooperation on its seventeenth session, the decisions taken at that session and the decisions taken at the intersessional meeting of 4 June 2013;

2. Also takes note of the report of the Secretary-General on the state of South-South cooperation;

3. Further takes note of the report of the Joint Inspec-tion Unit on South-South and triangular cooperation in the United Nations system, including its recommendations, and the related note by the Secretary-General;

4. Recognizes the importance and different history and particularities of South-South cooperation, and reaffirms its view of South-South cooperation as a manifestation of solidarity among peoples and countries of the South that contributes to their national well-being, national and col-lective self-reliance and the attainment of internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium De-velopment Goals; South-South cooperation and its agenda have to be set by countries of the South and should continue to be guided by the principles of respect for national sov-ereignty, national ownership and independence, equality, non-conditionality, non-interference in domestic affairs and mutual benefit;

5. Also recognizes that South-South cooperation is a partnership among equals based on solidarity and should not be seen as official development assistance, and, in this regard, acknowledges the need to enhance the development effectiveness of South-South cooperation by continuing to increase its mutual accountability and transparency, as well as coordinating its initiatives with other development projects and programmes on the ground, in accordance with national development plans and priorities, and further rec-ognizes that the impact of South-South cooperation should be assessed with a view to improving, as appropriate, its quality in a results-oriented manner;

6. Encourages the funds, programmes, specialized agencies and other entities of the United Nations system to take concrete measures to effectively mainstream sup-port to South-South and triangular cooperation in their policy and regular programming work, and in this context requests those organizations and the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation to leverage each other’s insti-tutional and technical capacities;

7. Recognizes the need to continue to mutually enrich South-South cooperation based on the diverse experiences of and good practices from South-South cooperation, trian-gular cooperation and North-South cooperation, and to fur-ther explore complementarities and synergies between them;

8. Invites developing country Member States to im-prove the impact of South-South cooperation initiatives on sustainable development and to exchange best practices in planning, implementation, data collection and information management;

9. Stresses that South-South cooperation is not a substi-tute for, but rather a complement to, North-South cooperation;

10. Recognizes the importance of considering South-South cooperation and triangular cooperation in the context of the elaboration of the post-2015 development agenda;



wide cooperation and coordination in support of South-South cooperation at the regional level;

20. Requests all Member States and the United Na-tions development system to foster complementarities among North-South and South-South and triangular co-operation through greater evidence-based policy dialogue on strategic cross-cutting issues, in particular for the appli-cation of science, technology and innovation and the inte-gration of a gender perspective into the pursuit of sustain-able development;

21. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its sixty-ninth session, under the item entitled “Operational ac-tivities for development”, the sub-item entitled “South-South cooperation for development”, and requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at its sixty-ninth session a comprehensive report on the state of South-South cooperation, focusing on how the United Nations develop-ment system can improve its support to South-South coop-eration and the implementation of the present resolution.

Pérez-Guerrero Trust Fund for South-South Cooperation, in accordance with its resolution 57/263 of 20 December 2002, and to support other initiatives for all developing countries, including technology transfers among develop-ing countries;

18. Also recognizes that South-South and triangular cooperation are mutually supportive in terms of both tech-nical and financial assistance, emphasizes in this regard the importance of further invigorating South-South coopera-tion, and invites all Member States to enhance South-South and triangular cooperation, focusing on shared develop-ment priorities with the involvement of all relevant stake-holders in governments, civil society and the private sector;

19. Invites the regional commissions, where relevant, to further harness the knowledge network, partnerships, technical and research capacity in support of an enhanced subregional, regional and interregional South-South coop-eration and to use the meetings of the regional coordination mechanism, as appropriate, as a tool for advancing system-

chapter ii operational activities for development

Documents